The Unknown
by StakeTheHeart
Summary: Roughly follows the game's storyline but with a big twist. The group set out on an adventure that will test their lives, loyalty, and love. Pairings between Lightning and Hope with obvious Snow and Serah. M just to be safe
1. Chapter 1

**So, I was browsing through old and new fics and saw this one. I tweaked some things (mostly in later chapters) so that it fit the game more. I'm replaying it now so maybe I'll find more things to fix or change. I look forward to what you think so review even though this fic is done. I usually get asked this so just to clarify, Hope is 18 in this story because I like it better that way and the age gap between him and Light isn't too big. Enjoy! SPOILERS**

* * *

><p>Hope stumbled along through the icy landscape of Lake Bresha. He looked down at his cold hands despite having gloves on the ice bit threw them. He was awfully tired, alone, and sick to his stomach with fear and depression. He had to see his mother fall out of this world and leave him behind. This horrible war only served to sever him from all he had held dear and now he was alone. Of course, he was momentarily accompanied by this strange pink haired girl who was all too cheerful even during this time of terror.<p>

He lost her once that Fal'cie got a hold of him, that girl, and a few others he wasn't familiar with. He trudged along and came across some soldiers on the lookout for L'Cie like him. He could only assume what he was since that thing marked him. He glanced at his arm and then back up as the soldiers got closer. He hurried behind a large slab of ice and crouched there until he was sure they had passed. Peeking out, he came face to face with a pair of blue eyes. He yelped and fell backwards.

"Whoa, sorry I scared ya little guy. Here, let me help you up," a deep but playful voice said. He was pulled to his feet and he looked up to see a burly man with white hair, wearing a long white coat with a black bandana. His gloved hands still held onto his shoulders to steady him. Hope pushed them off and tried to level a glare at him. It was the same man who let his mother fall and the same one who was branded with him.

"I don't need your help," Hope mumbled as he began to walk away.

"Well hold on there, kid. You can't just walk off into danger. Haven't you realized that there is a lot of danger around here?" he said.

"Yes, I know there are soldiers around but I need to get out of here eventually," Hope retorted.

"I'll help you. With my strength, we'll be out of here in no time," he replied with a confident grin. Hope stared at him before nodding and continuing in the direction he was headed before he had to hide. The man followed in silence before he felt the need to talk again.

"My name's Snow. What's yours?" he asked.

"Hope," he replied, wanting to end the conversation there.

"Well Hope, do you know where you're going? Cuz I certainly don't. I guess we can travel into the great unknown together though, right?" he said. Hope only nodded. They continued to travel with Snow spouting off once in a while. He talked about how he was involved in the war and how he came to be here. Hope felt genuinely sorry Snow lost the girl he loved but still not in the way Hope lost his mother. Snow was about to start on another line of ranting when a group of three soldiers came running down a slope parallel to them and blocked their path.

"Damn. They found us. Do you know how to fight yet kid?" he asked as he shifted into a defensive stance.

"What are you talking about?" he replied; but Snow ignored him. He ran forward and slammed a powerful punch into the face of the nearest soldier. The strange thing was his fist shimmered with light when he did. Was this the power that the Fal'Cie gave him when he was branded? In response to the fallen soldier, the others deemed them a threat and opened fire on them. Snow ran in front of Hope who flinched in fright. A yellow shield covered Snow and the incoming bullets didn't harm him.

"Come on kid. Feel the power it gave you and let something go. I can't do this all by myself. You must have gained something too," Snow grunted under the hail of bullets. Hope closed his eyes and searched for any feeling of power within himself. A strange energy surged through him before he opened his eyes and saw his hand glow with what looked like fire. His eyes widened in fright until he realized that the fire didn't hurt. A thought flashed through his mind and he flowed with the instincts that followed. He pulled back his arm and released the fire from his hand in a blazing fireball that flew at one of the soldiers. He hit his mark. The misfortunate soldier flailed until the flames consumed him.

"Wow; that was great Hope! Keep doing that and we are sure to win," Snow cheered with excitement. Hope felt for the power once more and found a different form of energy. This time it was like wielding thunder in the palm of his hand. He let it fly and the last soldier fell.

"Well I didn't know you had it in you," Snow said with a smirk. Hope allowed a small smile before it dropped. They continued forward in this way and Hope couldn't help but feel like things were looking better. That is, until a Manasvin Warmech blocked their path.

"What the heck?" Snow said. Hope looked at him and then ran forward.

"Wait! You don't know what that thing can do!" Snow yelled to him. Hope ignored him and threw a fireball at the Mech. It only hit with a smear of soot on metal. The Warmech raised its saw and swung it at Hope. He threw himself out of the way just in time. Snow ran over and began to safeguard. The Warmech swung again and rebounded off Snow's shield which threw him back in the process.

"Geez, this thing is stronger than what we've been fighting," Snow grunted. Hope only nodded nervously. At that moment, a scatter of bullets assaulted the Mech. Hope looked over his shoulder to see an older man in green standing behind them wielding duel guns.

"This way!" he called and hurriedly waved them over. They glanced at each other before taking off without a second thought. The Warmech began to follow but it was slower in mobility. The man gestured them into a small space between two ice blocks. They all squeezed in right on time. The Warmech reached their hiding place and crashed into the ice. It couldn't reach them where they were.

"Come on. I know a way out," the man said. They began pushing through the small space and came out on the other side.

"That was close," Snow said with a sigh, putting his hands on his knees.

"Yeah it was. By the way, I'm Sazh. What's your guys' name?" he asked.

"Hope," Hope replied distractedly as he looked around their new surroundings.

"Snow," Snow replied as he held out his hand. Sazh reached out to shake his hand then they began forward. The only thing left standing in their way was a few more soldiers which they easily took care off with the help of Sazh and his double guns. Soon they came across a ship that PSICOM had left. Sazh confidently boarded and gestured for the others to follow. Once they took off they were spotted. A hasty retreat followed which had them crashing down in a heap on some rocks.

"Sorry guys," Sazh apologized. Hope sat down and rubbed his back while Snow stretched and shook his head.

"No problem," Snow said, raising a hand. Once everyone had sufficient rest they ventured out into the dusty, dry landscape.

"So, where are you guys headed to if you don't mind me askin'," Sazh said, breaking the silence.

"We really don't know either. After that whole fiasco with the Fal'Cie back there everything just got crazy and confusing," Snow said. Sazh nodded sagely.

"That's right. No wonder I recognized you two. I was caught up in that very same fiasco," he said.

"Then we're all on the same boat right Hope?" Snow asked him with a nudge that almost pushed him over. Hope only glared.

"I think with all that's happened, why don't we agree to a quick rest?" Sazh suggested.

"Sure, that sounds good. I haven't slept for what felt like forever," Snow said with a smile. A howl echoed in the distance and Hope jumped.

"Yeah, rest sounds good but let's not stay long," he said as he glanced around nervously. Everyone else nodded and a plan for one of them to stay up while the others slept was made to keep them safe. Hope couldn't stay asleep due to his nightmares and the sounds out in the distance. He curled up with his back to a boulder for comfort. Out here the sky was visible and the sun was already gone so there was no light. The darkness did not help his mood. It wrapped around and oppressed him. He laid on the hard ground with only thoughts of his mom and safety in his mind. By the next morning they set off again.

And just like before, the soldiers were still out on the hunt. Except this time, they were accompanied by hovering Uhlans which shot missiles. They were a tough foe to defeat. After a particularly rough battle they all sat down to rest. Hope limped to a rock to sit down, Snow held his arm where a burn was located, and Sazh had only a coat of dirt from rolling out of the way. He wasn't as injured due to the fact that he could fire from far away. Things looked bleak until Hope found out that he could heal. They all sighed in relief once there uncomfortable injuries were gone. The only positive thing to happen to Hope so far, he thought.

"This place seems to stretch on forever," Hope commented at the end of the day, feeling the harsh effects of battle.

"Yeah but with your curing powers we should be able to get through it alright," Snow said optimistically. Hope only grunted and turned over to try and get some sleep. Battle would never be 'alright', he thought. Sazh was already lying down. They had decided that Snow and Sazh should stay on duty and switch through the night. Snow shrugged and stood guard.

"Serah…I hope you're ok. Wait for me," he said as he looked up into the sky. The hours passed by as Sazh and Snow took turns taking shifts throughout the night. By morning they had to set out once more.


	2. Chapter 2

On their third day in the Vile Peaks, Hope wandered off while the others sat around a fire he created. He was feeling particularly depressed at this time and the magic he used tired him out and gave him a bad temper; not that Snow already didn't. He was just too optimistic for a time that seemed too daunting to handle. He sighed and rounded a huge rock. They had just passed a mining facility and the weird bombs there almost took them out.

His healing magic just barely saved them. Now that he was well away from the others he finally broke down and let the tears of frustration flow. He was just about to wipe the tears away when a sudden force knocked him to the ground. He was temporarily winded but when his vision cleared, he saw a woman with pink hair and fierce, cold, blue eyes. His eyes widened as fear sliced through him. His eyes were glued to hers and he was so paralyzed with fear that he failed to realize that she was growling at him. Her iron grip hauled him off the floor.

"Hey Hope! Where didja go?" Snow called out. The women looked in the direction of his voice and dropped Hope.

"Snow?" she said in a smooth but strong voice. A moment later, Snow and Sazh rounded the huge boulder and stopped when they saw them. Snow's mouth was hanging open in surprise.

"Lightning! I'm so glad you got out of there. I don't think Serah would have been very happy if I lost you," he joked as he stepped forward. At the sound of Serah's name, Lightning darted forward and grabbed Snow by the front of his shirt.

"Don't talk like this is all a dandy walk in the park. This is serious Snow. It's not a game, and what happened to Serah shouldn't be talked about lightly," she said sternly as she shook Snow. It would have been humorous to see a big guy like Snow being manhandled by someone smaller than him except for the fact that Lightning sounded deadly serious.

"Calm down Lightning, she's ok," he said calmly.

"She better be," she threatened as she pushed Snow out of her way. He stumbled but regained his balance. In fact, he didn't look any worse for wear. He continued on like that sort of thing always happened.

"Where are you going? We can travel together; talk about the old times," Snow said jovially. Lightning turned only to glare at him and then continued on. Hope and Sazh were stunned. Snow shrugged and turned to the others.

"She's always like that," he explained. But the way he said it suggested that she may have been a little more on the severe side than normal.

"So what happened?" Sazh asked as he helped Hope to his feet.

"I don't know. She just attacked me out of nowhere. See you," he replied as he dusted himself off and then jogged out of sight in the direction that Lightning went.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Sazh called out but Hope didn't answer. Snow only frowned but shrugged it off.

"She can be a little harsh but he's safe with her," he stated as he went back toward camp. Sazh followed reluctantly.

Hope ran as fast as he could but he couldn't find Lightning anywhere. He began to panic as the thought of being alone settled on him.

"What are you doing here?" a voice questioned from behind. He turned to see Lightning perched on a nearby boulder.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm following you," he replied.

"Well don't," she said as she gracefully hopped down to stand in front of him. Now that he could see her properly, he noticed the gear she had on. She wore the standard Guardian Corps uniform and by the markings on her shoulder plate she was higher up.

"Why did you attack me?" he questioned in a wavering voice. She intimidated him profusely. She didn't answer; only turned around and sighed. She raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Then her hand dropped and she sighed tiredly.

"Look kid, I don't appreciate you following me. I have things to do," she replied tersely.

"I won't be a problem. Tell me what to do and I'll do it," he said.

"Then get lost," she retorted as she abruptly walked off. He shook his head and walked over to her. When he reached her he went to grab her arm but she swiftly spun around and grabbed his outstretched arm instead.

"Don't touch me," she threatened in a quiet tone. He was struck with fear again and couldn't place why she easily turned him to ice no matter how angry his temper made him boil. Somewhere in his fear he found some courage to talk back.

"I'm going with you. I don't want to stay another minute with Snow. I hate him," he said in surprising certainty. Her expression looked even more deadly. Her eyes pinned him in place and she grabbed his shoulders in a vice grip that made him winced. She slammed him into a rock wall and held him there.

"Listen, I don't take kindly to the weak and I will not have you struggling to keep up because I **will **leave you behind. Got that?" she hissed. He nodded stiffly and she let him go. He rolled his shoulders and sent a minor cure into the muscles of his shoulder.

"No offense but do you normally act this way?" he asked.

"Yes, if you don't like it leave," she replied as she continued to walk. He jogged to keep up and then fell into place beside her.

"What's up? I mean… if you don't mind me asking," he said. He felt that he should at least be somewhat concerned for her. After all, she was his ticket to safety.

"Do you have a death wish kid because if you keep talking it will come true," she replied. He didn't seem terribly concerned as he awaited her answer to his question. She sighed.

"I'm hungry. I've been out here for days trying to find a way to the nearest city. I was out with my troops scouting the area during the purge when we were attacked by some…creature. The others were killed but I got away with just an injury to my shoulder," she replied as calmly as she could; hoping it would shut him up, but it didn't.

"So can you heal too?" he asked innocently, but for some reason her anger came back.

"No," she replied harshly. He was taken aback but collected himself.

"I can heal. I got branded by a Fal'Cie and now I have magic abilities. I'm still learning how to control it. I was wondering if you could heal like me because you don't seem injured," he explained. She remained in thoughtful silence so he didn't push his luck. They traveled quietly until she stopped and sighed.

"Look kid…" she began but he interrupted her.

"My name is Hope," he corrected her.

"Ok Hope, I don't think it's a good idea to follow me. I know I can be a pain in the ass and it's better if you stick with people who are more positive than me. I've been known to bring people down," she said quietly.

"I'm not turning back. I've already come this far," he stated simply with determination. She looked very irritated but chose to walk away. Hope sighed in relief, feeling that she wasn't beyond hurting him.

"I'm going to find food. There has to be some kind of animal out here that's edible enough to be eaten," she said as she easily jumped over a ledge and disappeared. Hope sunk down on a nearby rock in exhaustion. He hadn't even noticed how far they traveled because he was so caught up in the mystery that was Lightning. Once she was out of Hope's line of sight she crouched and let her senses branch out. In a mere two minutes she was on the track of two rabbits which she easily trapped and killed.

After catching the other one, she took a few seconds to calm down and stop the adrenaline running through her system. With a sinking heart, she realized that maybe it wasn't adrenaline; just pure instinct. Again she was disgusted with herself for the fifth time that day and cursed her bad luck. At least her troops died honorably in battle and didn't have to go on in this way. She let loose an angry punch into a rock wall next to her and easily created a hole the size of her fist. She sighed and took out her gunblade which she didn't have to use ever since her run in with that thing. A different kind of strength ran through her body now.

"What have I become?" she questioned out loud to no one as she sheathed the gunblade. She pulled down the zipper of her sweater just enough to see the marred skin covering her shoulder. She ran a hand over the scarred skin, remembered the pain and darkness that came with it, and then zipped up her sweater. She bent down to collect the rabbits and then made her way back to Hope. When she got there, she found him curled up with his back to a rock. She went about preparing the rabbits and then woke him up to eat. He ate sluggishly while still half asleep, thanked her, and then rolled over to continue sleeping.

She cleaned up their meal and then stood to spend the night keeping watch. In the morning, she woke Hope who climbed to his feet and began to follow her as he did before. All morning he was too tired to talk so she was granted a few hours of silence. However, once he was awake, he started up on his questions. It grated heavily on her patients but she pressed on. She didn't want to answer most of the time, but in this way they learned each other's past which made them the unhappy individuals they were today. They were lucky enough to encounter no enemies on the way and in no time, they reached the Gapra Whitewood.


	3. Chapter 3

Lightning shaded her eyes from the Gapra Whitwood's pulsing light. Once they adjusted, she put her hand down. Hope ran forward to get a better view.

"I'll lead if that's ok with you," he said over his shoulder.

"Ok, just don't get yourself killed," she replied as she walked over to him. He gulped nervously but set out anyway. Not too long into their new surroundings they encountered monsters. Lightning pulled out her gunblade and charged immediately while Hope hesitantly followed. He wanted the lead for a reason yet she already beat him to the punch; literally. He wanted to at least show her what he could do before she got a hold of the monsters. Something told him she would be a great fighter, and it wasn't her Corps rank either. He hung back just enough to see how lithe her movements were. She easily pulled off flips and jumps that no one he's seen had ever attempted. She never got hit and killed all the monsters without his help. After she put away her weapon, she turned to him with a frown.

"I thought you were going to lead?" she asked.

"Well I was if you hadn't gone ahead of me," he mumbled after he got his head to work. She grunted and scouted ahead. He reluctantly followed, regretting his decision to lead now that she showed enough capacity to cover for both of them.

"A leader is only good if they can lead their troops to battle quickly, effectively, and with the upper hand. We have to be careful. There's an Alpha Behemoth ahead. I've fought those when I was still in the Corps. They are aggressive and deadly," she explained.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. After all, it seems like you can fight just about anything," he said spitefully.

"What's that supposed to mean? It's not my fault you can't keep up," she shot back.

"Whatever just go kill it; I'll be waiting behind you until you're done. If you happen to need me, then call," he replied, crossing his arms.

"What a pain," she sighed. She looked at him once more before taking off. He watched her go, and then reluctantly ran after her. He didn't want to be left behind and still hoped he was needed by her side. When he caught up to her she was already engaged with the Behemoth. There wasn't a scratch on it. It was then that Hope realized that it was made of metal; in fact, all the monsters so far were made that way. This one refused to be taken down. Lightning was right, it was a raging creature made worse by its armor. She jumped away from its swiping claw and landed not too far away.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay behind?" she questioned.

"Thought you might need help," he replied as he gathered his magic and let loose a torrent of water. The behemoth shielded its face while Lightning took advantage and swung at its head. She successfully landed a blow which left a deep wound down its face. Being an animated creature, it wasn't done yet. As Lightning landed, it struck. She was thrown aside and the Behemoth focused its one eye on him. Lightning pulled herself up with no visible injuries.

"Hope, use your magic again. I think it weakens it," she commanded. He nodded and sent a few fireballs towards the Behemoth. Then Lightning followed up with a sharp strike down on its head. The gunblade easily tore through. The great beast froze and then suddenly fell sideways, shaking the ground. Lightning flicked the oil off her gunblade and sheathed it.

"Are you ok?" Hope asked as he jogged up to her. She answered with a nod.

"I didn't think anything like that would be here. What the heck do they expect to accomplish having things like that on their side?" he wondered out loud. He didn't expect a reply from her so he wasn't surprised when she walked away.

"I wonder what Snow and Sazh are doing? I mean, not that I care," he said hastily. Lightning glanced at him knowingly and then stopped. It took him an extra couple steps to realize that she had stopped.

"Do you really hate Snow that much? If so, for what reasons?" she interrogated.

"Uhhh," he stalled. When she crossed her arms he started to answer.

"I hate him for what he did," Hope finally answered quietly.

"What did he do?" she asked.

"He didn't save my mother. He boasted that he could help us and he failed," Hope said, emotions surfacing.

"Didn't or couldn't? There's a difference," she pointed out.

"It doesn't matter! Because of him she's gone and I will never see her again!" he shouted angrily. He gasped in pain suddenly and grasped his arm. Lightning shifted into an alert stance. Light flooded from between Hopes fingers as his brand shimmered. It was a very bright green light. It brightened and then went out abruptly. Hope stumbled and almost fell face first had it not been for Lightning. She caught him and then gently laid him down.

"What happened?" she wondered in utter confusion. She sat next to him and tried to wait until he woke but when an hour passed with no sign of movement, the waiting made her impatient. She grabbed Hope and threw him over her shoulder then continued on their path. She didn't get far before a wayward Thexteron decided to test her temper. Its claws dug into her side and she cried out. She managed to catch herself before dumping Hope on the floor. She set him down and turned to confront the doomed creature. It roared at her as she flipped out her gunblade; slipping into her attack stance gracefully.

"I wouldn't if I were you," she warned even though it couldn't understand. It sprinted forward and Lightning swung her gunblade quickly. The beast continued past in two pieces with her standing in the middle. The pieces skidded behind her and she folded her blade. A sound nearby startled her and she cracked off a round from her gunblade. It shot right through a Crawler a couple of feet away. She put her weapon away and studied her side. It had already healed but the blood was sure to raise questions from Hope. She reasoned that it couldn't be helped. She crouched to pick him up but he rolled over and groaned. His eyes searched her face before they closed and he groaned again. His hands came up to rub his face.

"What happened?" he asked tiredly.

"You passed out. I think it had something to do with your brand," she replied. He grimaced and climbed to his feet unsteadily. She held him up until he could stand on his own.

"All I can remember is getting so angry it was like a leak that burst with so much power I couldn't control it. That must have knocked me out," he explained. His eyes suddenly widened.

"Lightning what happened to you!" he exclaimed. She looked at the tear in her uniform and shrugged.

"It's just a scrape. I'm used to injuries like this. I got them all the time in the line of duty. It's nothing," she replied calmly. He shook his head and hesitantly reached out. She snatched his hand and held it away.

"What did I tell you," she warned with agitation. He ducked his head from her harsh glare.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She let go of his hand and he pulled it close to him.

"Let's keep going. I thought of a plan while you were out," she stated.

"And what's that?" he asked.

"I'm going to take you home where you will be safe and out of my hair," she replied a little harshly.

"Who said I wanted to go home?" he demanded.

"I did. You can't follow me around forever, I have my own agenda," she replied coldly.

"Whatever. Waste your time, but I'm not going to stay there," he challenged. She resisted the urge to strangle him. She took a deep breath and then pivoted on her heel.

"We will see when we get there," she replied. Hope shook his head but followed her. Fighting wasn't a problem once they figured out what weakened each different monster. Soon, they spotted the way out.

"Finally," Hope sighed as he ran forward. An odd sound crossed Lightning's senses before she realized what it was.

"Hope, look out!" she shouted as she darted forward. An Aster Protoflorian bounded out of nowhere and almost charged into Hope but Lightning pushed him out of the way. In the process, she was sent flying from the collision.

"Lightning!" Hope cried. Her body landed inches from the edge of the platform. Then the Protoflorian turned its attention on Hope, scraping its feet angrily like a bull about to charge. He held up his hands, ready to use his magic but he knew it wasn't a fight he would win without Lightning.


	4. Chapter 4

The Aster Protoflorian opened the blossom on its back so rapidly, the edges blurred, creating deadly scythe like weapons. Hope jumped to his feet and backed away. He called magic to his hands and sent a flurry of different attacks. The monster stepped back somewhat but the spinning continued. At that moment, a glint of steel arced over the monster and shot down, creating a large gash across its side. The spinning stopped and it fell over. Lightning landed gracefully after her well executed attack.

"Are you ok?" she asked. Hope only nodded, stunned.

"What about you?" he said.

"I'm fine," she replied quietly. The silence grew awkward so Hope cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry I'm causing you trouble. I guess I'm still unstable since I lost my mom. Thanks for getting me out of the way," he said hesitantly. She looked at him uncertainly.

"You're welcome. If you don't want to go home then where do you want to go?" she questioned. He looked away in embarrassment.

"I guess, wherever you go if you don't mind," he replied, not meeting her eyes. To his surprise she laughed and walked over so that she stood right in front of him. She raised a hand, set it on his head, and ruffled his hair. He looked at her like he couldn't believe his eyes. He got the feeling that she rarely acted this way.

"What an admirer. You know, if I were you I wouldn't stick around me anymore than needed but you are either crazy or determined," she said as she stepped away. He fixed his hair with a frown and her smile dropped.

"I want you to know… it's not going to be easy Hope. I'm not the nicest person. I know that, but the journey will be tough too. Don't you at least want to tell your Dad what you are attempting to do?" she reasoned.

"Yeah, I guess I should," he sighed. She nodded and gestured for him to follow her to the exit. Once outside, they took a look around.

"There's Palumpolum," Hope said as he pointed to a city in the distance. Lightning followed his finger and gazed at the city.

"We have to sneak in. No doubt the Corps and PSICOM will be searching for us still," she cautioned.

"That won't be a problem. I've been all over the city when I was a kid and played in the piping systems. No one knows about them. I can easily get us to my house," Hope said confidently.

"Ok then, let's go. Lead the way," she said. Hope trotted ahead and Lightning followed; her senses on high alert. They reached the city fifteen minutes later. Lightning grabbed Hope and hid behind a vehicle at the entrance.

"See, soldiers are patrolling. How did you say we can get around them?" she asked.

"Those pipes," he said as he pointed them out to her. She nodded and when the coast was clear they ran to the pipe. As Lightning passed the soldiers, her breathing sped up. She stumbled and Hope grabbed her hand and steered her to the pipe opening.

"What happened?" he asked with a hint of worry.

"I don't really know," she replied as she struggled to adjust her breathing. He kept a hold of her hand to lead her through the pipe and to the other side. They climbed out and Lightning gently pulled her hand away.

"Where to now?" she questioned.

"This way," he said as he ran down a street. She followed closely behind him. Soon they reached Felix Heights. A double door of an elegant building stood before them. The door didn't budge when he pressed the button so he knocked fervently. They sat there for a while and Lightning began to get annoyed. She crossed her arms and leaned on her left leg.

"What now?" she said.

"I don't know. How can he not be home? What if something happened to him? Or maybe he left when things became serious?" he wondered.

"Calm down. I'm sure he got out ok. Will it be alright if I just knock down the door though? That is, if you really want to get inside…" she offered. Hope got a vivid image of his father lying dead in the living room, riddled with bullet holes. He shuddered and shook his head.

"No, let's just get out of here," he said shakily. He turned and ran back to the pipes. Once inside he went down a different tunnel and stopped at an opening which was blocked by a sign. He pulled himself up and hid behind the sign with Lightning following behind.

"We need to get past that group of guards. There's another pipe system up that ramp behind them. I can't see another way around," he said, gesturing to the soldiers in front of them.

"Well then we will have to use force," she replied unfazed as she flipped open her gunblade. They sneaked forward as quietly as they could and ambushed the group. The two surviving soldiers scattered bullets in their direction. Lightning deflected them with her gunblade and lashed out. Hope took down the other one with well-aimed blizzard and fire attacks. They wasted no time and ran up the slope. Meters away from the pipe, a Falco Velocycle rocketed in front of them.

"Get down!" Lightning commanded as a spray of bullets shot past them. They jumped to their feet and Hope began calling his magic.

"Wait, don't waste time on it. Let's go," she said.

"But…" he said uncertainly. He ran after her anyway and watched as she timed a swift slide under the Velocycle. He panicked slightly but slid under too. On the other side, Lightning was waiting for him. When he caught up, she jumped into the pipe. He was right on her tail when the Velocycle attacked again. Pain lanced through his leg and he fell into the pipe. Lightning was there waiting for him. She was oddly stiff but proceeded to haul him to his feet. She dragged him a little ways in and then hastily let him go.

"Hold on. I got it," he panted as he called forth a cure. Green light glowed in his hand and he directed it towards his leg. In no time, his leg was healed.

"Another one of your magic tricks?" she said in an attempt to be indifferent but something was still wrong. Her posture hinted at discomfort.

"Yeah, I can cure most injuries," he replied as he looked into her eyes. They seemed to turn to ice. He noticed she kept her distance.

"Are you squeamish?" he guessed.

"No. I'm not. Lead the way," she mumbled quietly. He raised his eyebrows questioningly but decided to let it go. She flinched slightly as he passed and noticed that she took uneven breaths again. He hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and then suddenly slammed him against the pipe wall behind him.

"Please. Get. Us. Out. Of. Here," she growled, emphasizing every word through gritted teeth. He could have sworn he saw her eyes flash yellow. He nodded his head quickly with wide eyes and she let him go.

"Sorry," she apologized quietly. He chose not to answer and began to walk down the slanted pipe. The pipe ended in a drop not so high from a platform beneath. Hope hesitated but Lightning jumped down without a second thought. He lowered himself and let go, barely catching himself.

"Is that a Fal'Cie?" she asked as she looked ahead.

"Yeah that's Carbuncle," Hope informed her. She began walking forward with no other comment. The monsters were a nuisance. They weren't strong but prolonged a fight with ease. Hope marveled at Lightning's speed which always got her out of a jam. They crossed the last moving platform and turned around a corner. By the time they reached the elevator, Hope was exhausted again. Luckily Lightning noticed and allowed him to rest before continuing. He gratefully sat down and fell asleep almost immediately. Lightning stayed on alert until he woke up. When he did, she helped him to his feet and together they entered the elevator. A short trip up, the elevator opened to a courtyard iced over with frost.

"What's going on here?" Lightning wondered.

"Beats me. But it looks as if we may have some allies," Hope commented as he pointed ahead. Snow was racing along on a big blue motorcycle that created an icicle road underneath as he drove. He spotted them and made his way over. He stopped with a skid and a shower of ice.

"There you are kid! I was beginning to worry. I guess you're in good hands though right Lightning?" he joked. Lightning was already in a foul mood.

"Hey! Enough with the chit chat! I found us a ship!" Sazh suddenly yelled from afar.


	5. Chapter 5

Snow dismissed the two creatures that made up his motorcycle. He called them Eidolons. He said their names were Nix and Stiria; together they made Shiva. He took time explaining as they ran toward Sazh who lead them to a ship. They boarded and Sazh began to start it up. Snow told everyone how his Eidolon appeared.

"So, there I was; surrounded on all sides. Sazh was knocked out and I wasn't going down without a proper fight. I tried my best but I couldn't win. I thought of Serah and how I failed her," he began. Lightning's scowl deepened at the mention of Serah's name. The ship suddenly lurched and they were in the air.

"But then I felt this awesome power come to me and I just let it free. Nix and Stiria appeared and helped me kick the crap out of those soldiers!" he finished with zeal. Lightning rolled her eyes and Hope sat with his arms crossed. During the story he briefly examined his brand thoughtfully. Snow noticed the grim looks on their faces but it didn't slow him down; his grin never faltered. Instead, he took their silence to mean awe.

"Who's Serah?" Hope asked Snow when the silence was too much. He was sitting next to Lightning whose icy behavior was spreading to him.

"Serah is the love of my life and Lightning's sister," Snow replied jovially.

"Oh, I didn't know you even had a sister Lightning," Hope said to her. She grunted and turned away.

"She's just bitter cuz me and Serah are going to get married once this all blows over," Snow informed Hope. Hope raised his eyebrows in disbelief and felt that he might have to side with Lightning on this. After all, he too did not like Snow. Hope thought he heard a slight growl come from Lightning but when he glanced at her, she was turned away still with her arms crossed. He waited till she felt his gaze. When she turned, his eyes met hers and he gave her a reassuring smile. The corner of her mouth quirked up ever so slightly before she turned away. His smile grew.

"Hey guys, we are headed for this tower and the ship won't pull off course," Sazh announced. Snow stood and made his way over to the front.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked.

"I mean, this ship is choosing the course," he said. The ship shook slightly as it tipped. Everyone grabbed something to hold on to. The ship entered the tower and crash landed. When the smoke cleared, everyone unstrapped themselves; everyone except Snow who was not seated and was now a heap on the floor; a cut vivid on his forehead. Lightning jumped from her seat and made her way out of the ship on unsteady feet. Hope looked at Sazh who shooed him along.

"I got him kid. Follow her, you're probably the only one she will allow to go near her and we shouldn't get split up at a time like this. Plus I can't go far, my arm is injured," he said. Hope nodded and exited the ship. He took a quick look around and spotted Lightning leaning against a pillar.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked as he neared her. She flinched away when he drew nearer, but then realizing who it was, she slid to the floor warily. His eyes filled with worry.

"Hey are you ok?" he asked as he kneeled next to her. She shook her head and he noticed that once again she was breathing heavily. At that moment Snow came over with a grin.

"Hey sis, are you doing ok?" he called. She looked up at him with the coldest blue glare Hope ever saw in her eyes. He fell backwards in surprise and she rose to her feet. Her eyes darted to the cut on Snow's head then back to his face. Snow's grin faded when he sensed the same danger Hope did. Lightning darted forward and grabbed Snow's collar with both hands. In one fluid motion she flung him into the pillar with such force Hope was surprised the pillar or Snow's spinal cord didn't break. A low snarl erupted from Lightning who uncharacteristically bared her teeth. By now, Snow was half conscious from the blow.

Hope however was witnessing it all. The most frightening thing about the scene playing out in front of him was how dangerous and threatening Lightning's teeth looked. They pointed just slightly at the tips. Not at all like a human's teeth. A shot rang out and Lightning grabbed her arm. Snow slid to the floor limply. Lightning turned to face Sazh who held his guns straight at her. His injured arm sagged a little. She ran forward so fast Sazh's next shot was late. She reached him and knocked the guns from his hands. She landed a powerful punch to his face which knocked him out cold. Hope shook with fear when she turned to look at him.

"Lightning?" he squeaked out in terror. A hunter's smile formed on her lips. She stalked forward and was unexpectedly attacked from the side. She dodged the attack, grabbed the whip which shot at her, and then yanked. Out of the shadows, a pink haired girl in furs fell to the floor, her weapon landing in Lightning's hand. Hope squinted at her and then realized it was the girl he met back when this all began. Her name was Vanille if he remembered correctly. Lightning snapped the offending weapon and advanced on Vanille. A war cry sounded and a tall, black haired woman in blue robes swung a double bladed spear directly at Lightning. She dodged and positioned herself behind the woman. The woman turned and stood guard over Vanille. Hope saw his chance to distract Lightning.

"Lightning stop! What's wrong with you?" he yelled. She turned to see him running towards her.

"Don't come over here kid!" the women shouted in a voice heavy with the same accent he heard from Vanille. Lightning met him halfway with a growl. Hope skidded to a halt.

"Lightning, this isn't you. Find yourself. Come back to me," he coaxed as calmly as he could but his voice kept wavering. Lightning's eyes softened a little and she slowly raised a hand to her head in confusion.

"Hope?" she said in a scared voice. He smiled and stepped closer.

"Run Hope. I-I can't control myself," she whispered. He raised a shaky hand and laid it on her cheek gently.

"Concentrate Light," he encouraged. She sighed and leaned into his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman run forward, wielding her spear. His eyes widened and his reaction tipped off Lightning. She pulled away baring her teeth again and was about to turn around but it was too late. The woman struck and sunk the double bladed spear deep into Lightning's back. She gasped as pain twisted her features. She tried to grab for the weapon but she couldn't reach. The woman forced Lightning to the ground, pulled the spear out, and held Lightning's arms behind her back. Hope was so beyond sadness and fright that he just sunk to his knees next to Lightning's prone figure. The woman blew a lock of hair out of her face and addressed Hope.

"You know what's going on kid?" she asked sternly. He shook his head.

"Well it's a good thing I do. Do you know any magic? I can see you're branded. So am I and so is she," the woman said, gesturing to Vanille who stood behind her with her hands in a sort of prayer position.

"Yeah I can do some magic," he replied.

"Good, then you can be of some assistance. Use holy magic to disable her," she commanded.

"Why can't she do it?" Hope said in a panic as he gestured to Vanille. The woman rolled her eyes.

"She won't come over here. You need to be able to cast while in contact," she explained. Lightning gave a huge heave and almost threw the woman off.

"Hurry!" she shouted.

"But, I don't know how to cast holy," he said, further panicking.

"Don't you know how to heal?" she asked.

"Well yeah but-" he said but she didn't let him finish.

"That's holy now cast it!" she exclaimed.

"It won't kill her will it?" he questioned nervously.

"What does it matter?" the woman replied. It was then that she saw the look in the boy's eyes.

"You care for her?" she asked. Hope turned away with a light blush. The woman sighed.

"As long as you don't use too much she should be ok," she told him reassuringly. Hope nodded, reached out to Lightning's shoulder, and cast cure. Lightning cried out and then went limp under his hand. The woman got up as Hope sat with his mouth hanging open. After a few seconds, he gathered Lightning in his arms as tears of worry and fright fell down his face.

"Man, I didn't think finding you guys would be this messed up," the woman said.

"Who are you and what the hell is going on!" Hope yelled. His distress was amplifying by the minute.

"The names Fang and you have one hell of a demon to deal with," she replied gravely as she retrieved her spear and slung it into its strap on her back.


	6. Chapter 6

Hope looked down at the unconscious Lightning. He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Did you have any idea what she is or are you just stupid?" Fang asked with folded arms. Hope glanced at her but his attention went back to Lightning. He hesitantly reached out and laid his hand on hers.

"Careful kid, she might come around faster than an angry chocobo," she warned.

"Look, for the last time my name is Hope, not kid; and Lightning wouldn't do that," he replied. Fang grunted in disapproval. Vanille sighed sadly and Fang turned to look at her. She was kneeling next to Snow and Sazh who were still knocked out. Her healing was weaker than Hope's but she still tried.

"Just be careful," Fang said as she walked toward the ship. She entered cautiously and then came back out.

"Well, the ship is completely busted so the only thing we can do is move forward," she stated, standing next to Vanille. Hope pushed off the ground and offered to help. Fang raised an eyebrow but moved out of his way. Hope easily mended Sazh's injury in seconds. Vanille's eyes lit in amazement and Fang quirked a small smile.

"Nice job Hope. Your magic power is pretty strong; maybe better than Vanille. You see, I'm only good at being a Commando and Vanille here is a good Saboteur but that's as far as her magic skill goes. You however, can do other magic right? I mean, you're not just a Medic are you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can do other things besides healing like using the elementals to attack. Why do you ask?" he said.

"Hmmm, a Ravager, why don't you join us? We were about to check out this place," Fang suggested. Hope hesitated. For once, he was making the decisions and he wasn't sure what to do, so he nodded.

"Good, you're going to need help with that anyway," she replied, pointing to Lightning. Hope's temper flared.

"She isn't an 'it', she's a person!" he yelled. Fang raised her hands in defense.

"Sorry, don't be so touchy, but it's true. She isn't human anymore. Do you know what happened? Did she tell you anything?" she questioned.

"All she said was that she was the only survivor of an attack on her squadron. She doesn't know what happened beyond that," he answered. Fang looked thoughtful and then shrugged.

"I don't want to burst your bubble of trust but I think it's better for you if I tell you what she is and save you the heartache of getting killed," Fang said. Hope looked at her uncertainly and then turned away.

"Please, Hope. You need to know," Vanille's soft and compliant voice pleaded. Hope gazed at her and then nodded.

"Sit down and get comfortable so you don't faint on me or something," Fang advised. Hope checked over his shoulder at Lightning and then sat down.

"Vanille and I have lived on Pulse our whole lives. We were born there so we know the dangers," Fang began.

"You guys are from Grand Pulse?" Hope exclaimed. Vanille nodded.

"Anyway, the thing that attacked Lightning is a very rare creature. It has been living for centuries. They are the only thing close to real demons that we know of. Our tribes are deeply rooted in spirituality so it was a matter of time before we discovered them. They travel in shadows, always go for the kill, and can **never** be defeated. They don't have a physical being. They only attack to reproduce because killing the human results in the loss of their soul. The more corrupt the soul, the stronger the newly created creature is. They don't need to eat but when humans are bitten but not killed they change into Halflings which do have a diet. These Halflings have the power of the demons but may be able to be killed since they now have a physical body.

Or at least, that's what we hope. No one has ever attempted this because Halflings are just as rare. Both species are easy to miss in passing but when they do, nothing is detected until it is too late to do anything about it. We had some cases of missing people. Vanille and I came up with a name for them besides the usual demons, The Corrupt, or Shadows. We call them Death Wraiths or Shadow Wraiths. What Lightning is now we haven't put a name to besides Halfling. We don't know exactly what to expect. I've never really encountered either of them, I've only heard from others. We can't take any chances and neither can you, so you need to be careful," she explained sternly. Hope was blown away. When he calmed somewhat, his mind began to race.

"But what if Lightning isn't like that. If you don't know much about them then you can't judge yet. For all we know she can still be the same as when she was human! What if she can control herself? What if she still has feelings and humanity? She kept me safe and got me here after all! Isn't that something?" he exclaimed as his emotions got the better of him.

"Calm down! Calm down! I'm not going to kill her or else I would have already done it! Now sit down and shut up!" she retaliated. Hope did as he was told but away from them. He sat next to Lightning, picked up her hand, and held it in his own.

"That kid is crazy, naïve, stupid, and too trusting," Fang stated to Vanille. She remained quiet as she watched Hope thoughtfully.

"But maybe… he has a point," Vanille said.

"What?" Fang asked appalled.

"This can give us an opportunity to understand," she suggested, getting excited.

"No Vanille, we can't afford to get attached," Fang reprimanded.

"No really Fang. **What if** she can retain her humanity? Maybe it's possible she still has a soul? "'No one knows' and we can figure it out!" Vanille said hopefully.

"You sound just as bad as the kid," Fang replied with a frown. Vanille gave her a puppy dog stare and Fang frowned.

"Now don't do that. I'm trying to keep us safe," Fang said. When Vanille persisted, Fang threw up her hands in frustration.

"Fine; but don't blame me when things start going downhill!" she exclaimed as she walked away and sat with her back to the others. Vanille stayed sitting contentedly next to Snow and Sazh. Hope softly rubbed Lightning's hand in his. She groaned and he jumped in surprise. He wasn't really scared but Fang's story combined with what he saw she was capable of had him closer to an edge he didn't know he was on. She raised her free hand and held the bridge of her nose.

"Hope? I feel horrible. What the hell happened?" she asked.

"You… you passed out. How did you know it was me?" he asked. Lightning dropped her hand, opened her eyes, and stared at him. Her icy blues always took his breath away.

"Process of elimination; Sazh barely knows me and Snow knows better than to be this close without running the risk of getting hit," she replied. At the mention of how close they were, Hope scooted over as subtlety as possible. Lightning slowly sat up and gently pulled her hand out of his. He blushed and looked away but she didn't say anything. She didn't look affected; instead she climbed to her feet and brushed herself off.

"How long have I been out?" she asked. Hope shrugged. Lightning inspected the room in a 360 degree turn.

"Where are we?" she said. Hope shrugged again and stood too. At that moment, Lightning spotted Fang and Vanille. Fang sensed she was being watched and turned to look at Lightning. Vanille watched the exchange. Both Fang and Lightning glared at each other. Hope was close enough to hear a slight growl from Lightning. Hope laced his fingers with hers. His action caught her attention and she turned the full force of her glare on him. He flinched but stood strong. Lightning noticed his flinch and realized what she was doing. She dropped her gaze and pulled her hand away.

"Is she a threat?" she asked Hope.

"No, everyone here is an ally," he replied.

"I doubt that. I'm not feeling good vibes from **her**," she replied throwing a dirty look at Fang.

"You don't need to worry," he said reassuringly.

"Ok," she said, turning away. She didn't sound like she believed him. Hope sighed and looked down. His head flew back up when Sazh suddenly rolled over and Snow groaned.

"Well, I guess the others are awake," Hope said as he walked over to them. Lightning stayed rooted to the spot like a statue with her arms crossed. Hope kneeled in front of Sazh and began asking him questions about how he felt then moved on to Snow. While doing this, he was painfully aware of the distance between Fang and Lightning. Once in a while they would pick up where they left off in their glaring contest.


	7. Chapter 7

The group of six slowly made their way through the tower, stopping occasionally to investigate. It seemed that they were in the Fifth Ark. The monsters mostly were made up of machine made contraptions and huge Berserkers with the purpose to test their will and strength. There were also the occasional non-mechanical beasts. Working together got them through the brunt of the attacks from the Berserkers and their Centurion Blades. It didn't help that Lightning and Fang didn't get along or help each other out.

Lightning would rather help Snow than Fang. Hope was torn between them all, seeing as he was the best Medic. Vanille helped him out a little but her skill as Saboteur made fighting easier. Snow was willing to use his Sentinel role to help everyone and so was Sazh whose skill was Synergist. In battle, Lightning was unforgiving towards any and all opponents. She backed down for nothing which scared Hope. He had to keep reminding himself that she was made of tougher stuff.

Luckily it seemed that she could heal herself. Hope couldn't help with his cures. After a particularly exhausting battle, the group sat down to rest. Lightning stood apart from the others and Hope was not too far away but stayed closer to the group to give her space. Without Lightning so close, Fang joined the group with Vanille who was the center of attention. Both Sazh and Snow's easy going nature didn't give them problems with anyone.

"Geez, I'm starving! We have to get out of this place and find food!" Snow complained. Lightning overheard his complaint and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Yeah, we all need to eat sometime," Fang said, glancing in Lightning's direction for a second. Hope caught her look and frowned.

"Do you know what they eat?" he asked impulsively.

"What?" Fang said, taken aback.

"Do you know what they eat," he repeated.

"No, but I can assume it eats people," she replied.

"If you have to assume then don't point fingers yet," he responded. Both Snow and Sazh looked at Hope and then at Fang in confusion.

"What are you two talking about?" Sazh asked.

"We might as well tell them," Fang said with a deep sigh. She then recounted the story she told Hope hours ago. Snow and Sazh stared with mouths gaping.

"So that's what you guys are talking about. You know, I could have sworn she kicked my ass harder than she has before. I guess I just thought it was another one of her tantrums," he said. Sazh remained quiet, deep in thought.

"So… if we claim to be hungry what do you think she's feeling at this point?" Sazh asked the group. No one answered. Hope glanced at Lightning and saw her standing with her head tilted slightly. She looked as if she could hear what they were saying but she was way too far away. On second thought, Hope guessed it maybe had to do with what she was. She probably had extra sensory abilities.

"I don't know," Fang replied after a long silence. They stayed there until everyone was fully rested then continued on. Soon they reached a platform. They all stepped forward and came face to face with a black haired man in white. His stance was intimidating. Lightning knew him as the man who worked under the Sanctum and in turn, was a threat to them.

"Raines," Lightning sneered. The man turned to her.

"Farron," he addressed her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she drew her gunblade.

"Stopping you of course," he replied.

"Who are you?" Hope questioned.

"None of your concern; all you need to know is that I am Cid Raines and I am here to destroy you," he replied. The group braced themselves as bright light enveloped Cid. When it disappeared, he was half crystal looking and bolted forward as soon as the change was completed. Lightning easily outstripped the others and made it to Cid first. Even with her speed, Cid parried every blow she landed. It didn't help that she fought with anger. A quick swipe at her hand sent the gunblade skidding across the floor. Lightning clutched her cut hand and ran for her weapon. The rest of the group focused their attacks on Cid. Cid however could depict who was the weakest, and in a way essential, part of the group. He sidestepped attacks and made his way toward Hope. Lightning saw this and ran to block Cid. Fang saw Lightning and moved to block her, failing to understand that she was trying to protect Hope not hurt him.

Lightning collided with Fang who threw Lightning off her feet. Enraged, Lightning jumped to her feet, grabbed Fang's arm and launched her over her shoulder. Fang landed flat on her back with a thud. During this distraction, Cid reached Hope and swiped at him with his crystalized claw, successfully landing a huge gash across Hope's chest. He cried out in pain and fell over. The smell of fresh blood permeated the air. Lightning faltered at the scent and her thought process altered. Now she wasn't protecting Hope out of worry. She stepped between Cid and Hope. Cid swung and Lightning halted his attack with her bare hand. Cid tried to push past her with an extra burst of power. Wings jutted from his back and his attacks increased in severity but Lightning would not back down. Cid looked on in surprise and so did the others. Lightning's warning growls scared them, she could sense it. Their fear gave her strength.

She launched herself forward just as Cid prepared to shoot a beam of blinding light. Lightning managed to get a hold of Cid before he could and they tumbled to the floor. They scuffled, each trying to get the upper hand until Cid landed a hammering blow to Lightning's side. She flinched and he took the opening to throw her aside. When she stood back up he released the building Seraphic Ray. It struck Lightning at full force and sent her colliding with the floor. She didn't get up. Cid smiled cruelly and turned to continue the fight with the rest of them. The others were tending to Hope, assuming Lightning could hold off Cid. Snow looked up in time to see Cid coming their way. Lightning was badly struggling to her feet behind him. Snow blocked Cid's advance just in time. His attention was on Lightning; noticing the way she stumbled to properly stand. Cid threw punches like meteors at Snow who was soon batted aside. Cid knocked out Vanille and was faced with Fang's wrath. He sustained a meager cut to his cheek before she too was thrown aside. Sazh shot at Cid and was rewarded with a similar knock out. He stared down at Hope; grabbed him by the collar and readied his fist. Hope looked away.

"Put, him, down," Lightning snarled from behind him. He turned to see her finally stand straight and hold herself up. His eyes widened in astonishment. She was recovering right before his eyes. One look into Lightning's glare told him everything.

"The Corrupt," he whispered in fear. It was Lightning's turn to smile cruelly. Her teeth were sharp and her eyes froze him in place. A strange tendril of darkness snaked across her skin down from her shoulder and spread over her arm. It looked almost like a tattoo. When it reached her fingers, it elongated her hand into a wicked claw of pitch black. Fang managed to lift herself and gasped when she saw the transformation.

"He's my kill. Drop him," she threatened with an unnatural hiss to her words. Cid complied shakily. She stalked forward and he backed up.

"Farron, what happened to you?" he exclaimed. She snarled once more before she darted forward swiftly and impaled Cid with her newly formed claw. She proceeded to tear through him like paper until he was shredded. He fell sideways with shock frozen on his face and hit the floor with a sickening plop. His body reverted to normal. Lightning was panting from the blood spilled but nothing attracted her more than the boy lying not too far away. The darkness receded from her hand and back up her arm. In a matter of seconds it was gone but Cid's blood remained. It called to her so tantalizingly. Lightning observed the blood on her hand before tasting it experimentally. Right when the blood touched her tongue a frenzy of hunger knocked the wind out of her. She grasped her throat in thirst and her stomach twisted.

An inhuman scream escaped her lips as she fell to her knees. Fang had sprinted over by this time with Vanille hot on her heels. Snow and Sazh were up too. The men, fearful for their lives, and their friends, ran straight toward Lightning and tried to subdue her in the best way they could. Fang dragged Hope away and into the previous room where she hurriedly commanded Vanille to heal him. She dashed back to the platform to see the men wrestle a bloodthirsty Lightning to the floor with some difficulty. They were lucky she was weak with hunger or else they might not have been able to. Fang moved closer to assist and only served to enrage Lightning even more so she backed away. At that moment, Vanille showed up, helping a newly healed Hope stumble over too.

"What are you doing? Take him out of here!" she yelled.

"No, I can stop her," Hope replied weakly, but determination was clear in his eyes.

"She's beyond help right now she needs to eat. She's been neglecting her hunger and now she can't control herself," Fang disagreed grimly. Hope's determined grimace spoke otherwise and persuaded her enough to let him pass.

"Watch and see," Hope said as he moved closer cautiously. When he was almost near her, a visible reaction was immediate. Lightning stopped struggling. Her eyes were glued to Hope. He noticed that her eyes were no longer blue but an electrifying yellow. Dark shadows under her eyes contributed to her crazed state. Sazh held an arm behind her back and Snow did the same with her other arm. Fear and exhaustion showed on their face but they held on. Hope approached cautiously and flinched when she suddenly pulled forward, dragging Sazh and Snow. Hope reached out a tentative hand and lightly brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes closed in content and she leaned forward. The others were amazed. She was wild not too long ago and with one touch, Hope tamed her. Fang was proven wrong again, but to her, safe was better than sorry.


	8. Chapter 8

A small smile graced Hope's face as he held Lightning's face between his hands gently. His touch seemed to sooth her dark side. A low purr like sound rumbled through her in pleasure. Her dark features did not change back though.

"Lightning, I know you're in there somewhere. If you can hear me please say something," he said softly. Her eyes opened and he was struck with how animalistic they looked.

"Hungry," she moaned in pain. Hope felt like it was mostly the demon who spoke. Her voice was still different.

"What can we do?" he asked. Everyone tensed. Lightning breathed in, scenting the air, and then let out the breath in a sigh. Her nose nuzzled into his palm.

"Blood, flesh," she answered. A shudder ran down his spine and he couldn't stop himself from stepping away. Without his contact, she pulled forward in an attempt to reach him. Sazh and Snow held on for dear life.

"This is impossible. We can't keep this up. How do you suppose we feed her?" Sazh said through gritted teeth. Everyone was having a hard time.

"Simple, we give her our enemies," Hope answered resolutely after he pulled himself back together.

"But can't you see she wants **you**?" Fang demanded. Hope looked down and didn't answer.

"Well, why don't we give her Cid? She didn't seem to like him anyways and he's already dead. Maybe that will calm her down enough so we can get the old Light back?" Snow suggested.

"Yes, that should work," Vanille agreed.

"Ok then, me and Sazh will watch her and-" Snow began but Hope butted in.

"No, Fang; drag the body in the other room and leave her with me," he stated. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"Are you trying to commit suicide?" Fang exclaimed. Lightning growled at her.

"I see, in this state, the demon side of her is very much like an animal. It prefers one handler. Almost like a picky chocobo. She seems to have chosen Hope," Vanille commented. The others were unsure but had no choice but to go through with the plan. Once the body was placed in the other room, Sazh and Snow brought Lightning and readied to release her.

"How are we going to be able to let her go and run away in time?" Sazh asked.

"Stand with your backs to the door. Once you let her go, leave," Fang replied.

"Don't hesitate to shout if anything goes wrong," Fang said to Hope. He nodded. Vanille and the others wished him good luck, prayed for the best and executed the plan. Once they were gone, Hope's emotions warred inside him. He was looking death in the face. Lightning immediately stalked towards him once she was released. He stood his ground behind Cid's dead body. Lightning stopped in front of it without breaking eye contact. He saw her scent the air before she kneeled next to the body. What followed was something Hope would never get out of his head. When she was halfway through eating Cid's body, Hope ran to a corner of the room and was violently sick. Over the sound rushing in his ears, he could still hear the crack of bones, tearing of skin, and the snap of muscle. When he could stomach the thought of what he would see, he finally turned around.

Lightning was on her hands and knees panting heavily. Almost nothing was left of Cid. Blood covered most of Lightning. He waited for her to move, and when she did he was a little disappointed to see that her eyes were still shaded and yellow. She stood and stepped over Cid's remains. He kept his distance as she patiently followed him around the room, toying with him like any other predator would do to its prey. He kept away until he got himself stuck in a nook. Before he realized it, she was in front of him, blocking his escape.

"Don't run Hope. I only want a taste," she purred in a voice similar to what he heard before but smoother and alluring. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew she wasn't back to normal just yet, but the way she spoke clouded his thought process. She pressed against him and nuzzled into his neck. It caught him by surprise when he actually felt pleasure from her touch. He wondered if something was wrong with him for feeling this way. Her hand caressed his cheek before pulling him closer to her in a passionate kiss. He was so lost he forgot what she was and focused on who she was. The thought of what she ate never crossed his mind at all. He couldn't imagine tough-as-concrete Lightning doing anything like this. But this new Lightning knew just how to get what she wanted. She ended the kiss and Hope limply leaned against the wall behind him. She went back to his neck, untied his bandana, moved aside his shirt collar, and licked his bare skin.

Her breath hitched in anticipation before she bared her teeth and sunk them into his shoulder. His body went rigid in intense pain and his muscles felt knotted. She pushed him against the wall and worked her teeth in deeper, drawing out more blood. He heard her groan before she unlatched her jaw and licked off the remaining blood. The bite almost looked like a shark's; serrated and damaging, but after she pulled away, it started to heal; leaving behind a scar similar to hers. At this point, Hope couldn't stand anymore. Lightning gently laid him on the floor and then leaned on the wall. Her mind began to think rationally again and her eyes returned back to blue. The sharp teeth turned back to normal and the shadows under her eyes disappeared. That time she managed to remember all that happened. Seeing what overcame her made her fear herself.

The worst part; knowing that all that time she only thought of killing whoever and whatever got in her way. Everyone that is, except Hope. She remembered the strange feeling she got when he was close. In her eyes, he had a soft, white, glow around him; tempting to all her senses. She looked down at Hope in wonder. Why him? What about him makes her dark side do anything to get him? The taste of eating Cid came to mind and she automatically compared it to Hope. The kiss made her feel warm and fulfilled. Cid was just food, but Hope tasted so much better; addicting to the point that she wanted all of him. Just thinking about his blood made her mouth water so she tried to put it out of her mind. She crouched next to Hope and shook him gently. Her body reacted to the contact and she hastily pulled away. He opened his eyes and squinted at Lightning. He was so drained his eyes couldn't focus.

"Don't move, I'll get the others," she whispered. She started to stand up but he grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"Take me to them," he replied in a scratchy voice. Lightning frowned but Hope smiled.

"I'll be ok. Don't worry. I'm just tired," he reassured her. She didn't believe him but did what he said. She held him over her shoulder and began to stride toward the door. She burst through and was met by an array of weapons, including her own blade, inexpertly wielded by Snow.

"Don't point my own weapon at **me** Snow or you might find it in **your** back," she threatened.

"Lightning, is that really you?" he questioned. She paused, as if questioning herself, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I'm back," she replied. Both Snow and Vanille relaxed. Sazh was reluctant and Fang still held her spear at the ready.

"What's going on?" Hope questioned. Lightning gently set him on his feet and he held onto her arm for balance. She couldn't bear to look at him without feeling disgust at herself. His hand slipped into hers and squeezed it softly. She looked at him and he smiled warily.

"I'm sorry I caused this. I'll happily give myself up for the safety of my friends, comrades, and partners," she stated as she released Hope's hand to kneel before them in defeat. Everyone's surprise showed on their face.

"Lightning, we aren't going to give you up. We wouldn't do that. What happened… what happened was an accident. Something we should avoid by taking care of you properly. We've come up with a plan to help you. Well, Hope thought of it but the point is, we aren't giving up on you," Vanille stated. The others nodded. Lightning smiled sadly and stood.

"You don't have to do this. I would prefer if you killed me here and now but I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I can't be killed even if you wanted to," she said.

"Yep, so you're stuck with us sis," Snow said cheerfully. Soon they all had some form of a smile.

"Don't call me that," she said, pointing a finger at Snow.

"Yeah and I'll always be there to help you through the bumps in the road ok?" Hope stated. She nodded and turned to Fang.

"I'm sorry. I can't choose when I'm like that, but I don't hate you as much as my other side seems to think so. Keep an eye on me. You were right after all. I am a killer. There is no other way to say it. I hope you can forgive me," Lightning explained.

"No problem," Fang responded. With the horror left behind, the group continued through the many corridors of the Ark and out to the exit. Upon reaching it, the door opened to a long narrow road. At the end of the road, they found a Pulse ship ready to take them through the portal ahead and out to pulse. They boarded and Sazh easily started it up. In no time they were soaring over a huge field that spread out in all directions. They landed and stood in awe before setting out. Hope scampered through the grass in a rare moment of happiness.

Lightning resisted the urge to join him. Her newfound instincts seemed to be attached to Hope, and primitive enough to run through the grass too. He came back to the group with a giant smile. It soon became obvious to her that she held feelings for him. Not to mention that her darker side loved him in more ways than one. So, she was slightly surprised when she felt the urge to tackle him to the floor with a growl while no one was looking. He was just as surprised but quickly caught on. He laughed at her playfulness and tried to push her away.

She was aware of what she was doing but couldn't or didn't care to change it. The other half of her had a connection with him and was just as strong as her conscious self. She was leaning over him with a small smile as he gazed at her. Without any warning he kissed her shortly before licking her cheek. She growled in pleasure and some yellow flashed in her eyes. She felt the thrill it gave her and quickly tried to control it. He gazed into her eyes with a knowing smirk. She sighed and got to her feet. She helped him up with a disapproving shake of her head. He followed her back to the group and joined their planning which involved the next step they would make towards safety.


	9. Chapter 9

The plan was set. They would head to a safe campsite Fang and Vanille usually used when they traveled the land in the past. Rarely anyone got across the Steppe to reach it besides them. The Vallis Media took some time to get to because of the excessive beasts crawling all over the place. It was worth the endless fights though. It was a quiet rest stop in between rock walls with only two roads out; the other lead to The Yaschas Massif. Once they were settled, Fang explained where they would go next.

"We can rest here and then go through the Mah'habara. It's a pretty annoying mining facility but that should lead us to the Salyya Springs. In the back is a Fal'Cie called Atomos who digs through the mine shafts. If we catch a ride on it we can reach The Springs. Past that is Taejin's Tower. We climb the Tower and follow the road to our old home Oerba. We can stop to rest there too and maybe find some supplies," she said, laying down the route.

"What then?" Sazh asked. Fang looked at him.

"I'm not sure. I think we should just get to familiar ground before moving on. That way we have shelter and time to think," she replied. Sazh nodded in agreement.

"Well, now that that's settled can we go find some food? I'm a big guy and I can't go any farther until I can refuel," he complained. Both Lightning and Hope rolled their eyes. In spite of her annoyance, Lightning got up and stretched.

"What's up?" Vanille asked her in worry. Lightning looked at her calmly.

"I'll go get us something. Besides, I need to clean up," she replied in a voice that was a little too stiff. Hope jumped to his feet but Lightning gently pushed him back down.

"If you go out that way you will come to a waterfall," Vanille suggested helpfully. Lightning nodded and walked in the direction she pointed out. Hope sighed and his body visibly drooped.

"Hey, don't feel down Hope. She needs her space. She's going through a tough time," Snow said as he put a reassuring hand on his shoulder; the same one Lightning had bitten. He had tied his bandana back on in an attempt to hide the scar from the others. He halfheartedly pushed his hand off.

"I know. It's just that, ever since she lost control, I've felt more connected to her than any time before that. If she wants me dead so bad how come she didn't just kill me when she had a chance?" he asked, looking toward Fang and Vanille. It was a silent agreement of theirs to refrain from asking what happened in that room.

"We aren't exactly experts on this but I'm guessing it has to do with your light," Vanille answered.

"My light?" Hope repeated, confused. Everyone else was too.

"Yeah, you see, the Death Wraiths love to hunt victims that already have a bad soul so they will be strong once they change. The Halflings aren't all the way corrupted. It's like they are stuck between two worlds, two choices. She gravitates toward you because of your light. She wants to claim it subconsciously. Your soul hasn't been tainted yet and she sees hope in that for her. Sorry, no pun intended, but seriously speaking, you **are** her hope to finding her locked away light. The demon side of her knows this and its natural urge is to force it from you. Luckily Lightning does still have her humanity, so deep down, she cares about you and holds back that side of herself. It's a constant battle. No wonder she looks so tired," Vanille said, surprising everyone.

"Tired? Lightning? She's never tired. She's a hard core soldier," Snow said in disbelief. Fang suddenly realized what Vanille meant and glared at Snow.

"No, what Vanille means is her soul. Hope was right. If she has humanity, she has a soul, but it's tired. It's getting weak from fighting the dark part of her that wants to take over. That's why her body is trying to balance. She gains light from Hope and it keeps her soul going like medicine. It also keeps the darker side tame. Without Hope, she just might lose the battle and become a Wraith," Fang said gravely. Hope looked worried.

"Now, now, don't upset the boy. You make it seem like he has the whole world on his shoulders," Sazh said.

"But don't you get it Sazh? I have to save her from herself. I can't let anything happen to her. It's a life; not something to be thrown away without a care, she needs me. But, how can I help her if I'm still unstable myself?" he asked.

"That's when you man up and just become the hero you were meant to be and you'll do fine," Snow said with a nudge. Hope jumped to his feet.

"It's not that easy! I can't believe you can say that after you failed **her**!" he said, temper rising.

"What do you mean? I haven't failed Serah. I just have to find her and we can go home," he replied easily.

"No not Serah, my mother! You didn't save her and now she's gone! Some hero you turned out to be," Hope exclaimed, seething.

"Now wait just a minute, I tried to save her. Why do you think I kept you close to me? She asked me to watch you!" he yelled back.

"Look how **that** turned out! You didn't even care when you let me go off on my own!" Hope retorted.

"You were with Light! Even if she was unstable, which she was even before this mess, she would have taken care of you, and she did!" he shouted back.

"Don't say that, and don't call her Light! She doesn't even like you haven't you noticed?" Hope said, striking below the belt. Even though everyone else watched the exchange in interest like a ping pong match, they knew that was going too far. It was finally silent. Snow glared at Hope and then he sagged sadly.

"Yeah, I know. I try so hard to be the brother she would want but I only seem to upset her since day one. I love Serah, but all I do is hurt her when I disagree with Lightning. I'm trying… but nothing ever turns out the way it should," he said morosely as he turned away and sat far from the others. The anger Hope had left was not spent however. Despite his win against Snow, and the small feeling of regret, his anger still burned. He spun on his heel and stormed out through the path Lightning took. No one stopped him. He heard a waterfall in the distance and sped up. When he reached it, he saw Lightning pulling on her boot. It seems she was done cleaning up. There was no blood in sight except for a light stain down her uniform, a constant reminder of what she did. She immediately sensed him approaching and stood.

"Hope? Are you ok?" she asked uncertainly. He thought about how he felt and shook his head in answer.

"I had a fight with Snow. I'm just so angry now. It's like I can't stop it," he replied in frustration, wiping the tears that sprung to his eyes. Lightning wanted to comfort him but was too afraid to get close.

"Hope, don't-," but what she was about to say stuck halfway. One second Hope was wiping his tears, the next, his hand burst with bright green light. She shielded her eyes and slowly backed up. Wind kicked up and a second later, a huge force slammed into her. She flew straight back and collided with the rock wall behind her. She slumped onto the floor with a grunt.

"I'm glad I'm not human anymore because that felt like it would have killed me," she mumbled to herself. She pushed herself to her feet and looked up. She gasped when she saw a gigantic eidolon. Was that Hope's, she wondered. The massive golem-looking giant began stomping forward. That was what must have knocked me on my ass, Lightning thought with some worry.

"What's the use of being a half demon if I can't fight something like this?" she wondered out loud.

"Lightning watch out!" Hope yelled as he ran to her and pushed her out of the way; a second later, the giant's fist smacked into the wall where she was standing.

"Thanks. What the hell is that thing? Is it your eidolon?" she questioned. Hope only nodded warily.

"I think so. I felt what Snow explained he felt when his eidolon appeared then it just happened. There's this connection I have with it but it won't listen to me. All I got from the connection was its name; Alexander," he explained.

"Yeah, a name isn't going to help us here," she said, keeping her eyes on the giant. It was slowly turning around.

"I think we just have to fight it and win," Hope said.

"Well, we better be able to do that because if we don't we're dead," Lightning replied anxiously.

"You don't have to worry about that," Hope pointed out. She looked at him sternly.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you. I can't afford to lose you," she replied quietly.

"Because you will lose yourself," he stated. It wasn't a question.

"What? No, because I care about you. You're the only person besides Serah I've ever cared about," she said as she looked away. Hope smiled happily.

"Then let's get this over with," he replied as he reached out and took her cold hand in his. She looked at their joined hands and a small smile appeared on her face before it quickly faded. She pulled out her gunblade swiftly. She let go of his hand to slide into battle stance and Hope followed suit.


	10. Chapter 10

A billowing cloud of dust blew into the Vallis Media like a sandstorm. The group shielded themselves as best they could.

"What's going on?" Sazh hollered over the sound of billowing wind.

"I don't know!" Fang yelled back. As soon as it started it slowed to a stop. They looked around in confusion and then fell over as the ground began to shake.

"The world is ending or something! I didn't even get to do half the things I've wanted to before I die!" Snow shouted in panic. At that moment, a huge shadow lumbered through the dust cloud still hovering in the air. Everyone tensed and drew their weapons. When the dust cleared, a giant stood before them. Lightning appeared on its shoulder. She made a running leap and plummeted through the air. Halfway down, the giant held out a hand and she landed gracefully. Then she leaped from the hand and landed on the floor at its feet.

"Stop being a baby Snow. You're an embarrassment to us all," she stated in a bored tone as she walked toward them.

"Is that Hope's eidolon?" Vanille asked in awe. Lightning nodded.

"Yeah, that's Alexander," she replied, looking up at the giant with the others. Alexander raised a hand to its shoulder and Hope hopped on. It bent over and set its hand on the floor so Hope could get off. Once he was on the ground, Alexander was dismissed. Everyone was still in awe.

"Wow Hope, you're so small yet you're eidolon is gigantic," Sazh commented.

"And very, very, punishing; I took quite a beating to keep it from attacking Hope. If I had been normal, I think it would have killed me with that first punch," Lightning said. Everyone took turns quizzing Hope about what happed so Lightning strolled toward the path that would lead her to the Steppe. Hope looked over to her when she walked away.

"Hey wait, where you going?" he asked.

"I have one more task remember? Do you **want** to starve?" she questioned.

"No!" Snow exclaimed. Lightning rolled her eyes and walked away. She was stopped by a hand holding onto her arm. She turned to see Hope.

"Stay with the others. I'll be right back, don't worry," she said, her eyes softening somewhat. Hope smiled and let her go.

"Hurry back," he said, before he quickly hugged her and returned to the others. She was caught by surprise but recovered fast. She nodded when he turned to watch her leave. She could have sworn she heard Snow picking on him and resolved to give him a good punch on the shoulder when she got back, but for now she had to concentrate. She arrived back on The Steppe and began scouting the area. It was mostly covered with Gorgonopsids. A few Behemoth Kings chased prey nearby and in the distance, Flans gushed around some rocks.

"Finding something might be harder than it looks," she sighed. A tap on her shoulder made her spin around swinging. Fang almost couldn't get out of the way. When Lightning realized who it was, she apologized and helped Fang who fell trying to dodge the attack.

"That's some crazy reflexes there. Now tell me, is that from training or is it recently acquired?" she asked.

"A little of both," Lightning answered, turning back to the miles of plain.

"I came out here to help you find something. I know what to eat and what not to eat by experience. Once you know, you can catch us something on your own if you want. You are entirely capable of that and I can tell it gives you quality alone time you haven't gotten since that kid got a hold of you," Fang said wisely. Lightning turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you know all that?" She asked. Fang shrugged.

"That's what I went through before me and Vanille met. I liked being a lone wolf but the elders made me watch her. They knew I was the safest person to be with, especially since Vanille believes the world is all rainbows and butterflies. At least now she learned a few things from me," Fang explained.

"Then lead the way wise one," Lightning said, gesturing to the Steppe. Fang smiled at her attempt to loosen up and walked ahead. Along the way, she explained the do's and don'ts of hunting on Grand Pulse, what's best to eat verses what just tastes good but will make you sick. She advised Lightning how other predators think and the most ideal ways to defeat them without losing a limb. Lightning listened carefully and suggested alternative ideas as well. In the end, they fought a few times to get comfortable and Fang finally saw Lightning in action. Some foes required that she use a weapon and others she took down with her bare hands. The sheer power Lightning used at her disposal was frightening and made Fang wonder why in all that is holy did they ever leave her alone with the Kid?

He really could have become a smear on the floor. When Lightning fought this way, Fang kept her distance and applied the predator tactics, giving Lightning room to roam and kill without getting in her way or angering her. She was still well aware that the other side of Lightning didn't like her. In a way, Lightning was just like the other creatures on The Steppe, even blending in with them. A few times Fang noticed the way the creatures reacted to her. They kept their distance too and respected her space as a true predator. That is, until she decided to kill them. Everything besides the Adamanchelid, Adamantoise, and the Adamantortoise stayed clear. Even the Behemoths knew when to quit.

Fang was somewhat surprised that Lightning attacked the Behemoths. Fang watched Lightning run around for some time and grew to respect her. She had to admit, she might not have been in as much control had it been her. Lightning seemed to be at peace in this moment and shifted from one persona to the other without difficulty. Of course, when there weren't any distractions she worked well with her dark side. When the sun started sinking, Lightning met up with Fang. She had let her catch something on her own while she waited at the entrance to the Vallis Media. Lightning showed up dragging a Behemoth behind her. Fang looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"What? You said that Behemoth steak was the best to get so I thought it would be the best choice…" Lightning said, sounding remarkably like a child. Fang guffawed and slapped a hand on Lightning's shoulder. A slap that would have upheaved anyone, but being Lightning **and** half demon she didn't flinch nor move even slightly.

"Wow your sturdy. It's like hitting a rock," she said, shaking out the pain in her hand. Lightning smirked slightly.

"Well, those men aren't going to wait all day. Seeing as they're probably 'dying' by now," Fang said as she grabbed a hold of the Behemoth. Lightning grabbed a hold of it too and together they pulled it into the campsite. The guys' eyes bugged out when they saw what was dragged in. Vanille helped Fang prepare the meat in a way only a native of the land could do. Lightning made another trip to the waterfall and when she was on her way back, she ran into Hope. She froze in her tracks and he smiled shyly.

"H-hey Light thanks for the food. It must have been hard catching that thing," he said, trying to make small talk.

"You really think that was hard? It wasn't easy but it wasn't hard either. Plus, with Snow complaining so much I thought if I got a lot of food he wouldn't be able to feel hungry for at least a few weeks," she said. Hope laughed.

"Yeah, you know he didn't even wait for anyone. He dove in and ate before Fang and Vanille could even get it to anyone else," he replied.

"That's Snow for you," Lightning said with a sigh. Silence followed until Hope broke it.

"Um, I wanted to ask- I mean, I was worried- well…" he stuttered. Lightning calmly waited. Hope took a deep breath and tried again.

"Are you…still ok?" he asked hesitantly. It took a while to understand his meaning, but then she knew.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Go eat while you still can," she replied as she turned away.

"Wait, don't go. Come back with me," Hope said as he moved forward and grabbed her hand. She froze as the familiar feeling of desire rushed through her. After being out on the plains hunting all day, her other side was awakened. His touch got its attention like dessert presented to a child. She took deep breaths and gently pulled away. Hope felt the very air turn cold and knew that he had to walk away.

"See you at camp then," he said quietly before he walked away. He looked over his shoulder once and saw her eyes go from icy blue to stormy blue. They were no longer bright and hinted at darkness. Hope sighed and continued on. He knew that in a few minutes they could end up being that frightening electric yellow that held no mercy. The thought made him shiver and he put more speed into his stride. When he reached the campsite, everyone was already eating. He managed to get some only because Sazh was gentlemanly enough to save him some. They all ate happily. Hope ate with lingering thoughts of Lightning, and hating the uncomfortable feeling of the empty pit she left in him when she wasn't around. Hopefully she came back soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Lightning came back once everyone had their fill. Without a word she entered the campsite and sat nearby Hope. He didn't look at her for fear she would leave, but already he felt better with her close by. The plan was to get some sleep now that it was night time then head out come morning. Everyone immediately knocked out but Hope couldn't get to sleep. He was watching Lightning who no doubt was standing guard for them. Did she not need to sleep? He pondered to himself as Lightning began to pace. When the moon hit her just right, her eyes caught the moonlight and flashed like a cat's eye would reflect when light hit it. His breath caught and he rolled over so she wouldn't see him staring.

He heard her pacing stop and had a feeling she already knew. His face warmed up so he curled up tighter into a ball and pressed against the rock at his back. Sleep found him reluctantly but he woke back up when a scuffle nearby alerted him. He was about to get up when he suddenly felt calm. She was sitting near him but on the other side of the rock. He slowly sat up and crawled over to her. She sat against the rock with her head back. She was looking up into the night sky; yellow irises shining. When she heard his approach, her attention went to him. He leaned against her as calmly as he could and wrapped his arms around her. She inhaled, held her breath, and then exhaled. Her body tensed under his arms.

"Are you ok with this Light?" he asked hopefully in a quiet voice. She nodded uncertainly and put an arm around him. Her eyes closed and her body relaxed again. He smiled and closed his eyes too. In a matter of seconds, he had fallen sound asleep. In the morning, the sun directed its first rays in Lightning's eyes. She wasn't asleep but it was still a rude awakening. Hope seemed to think so too because he groaned and covered his eyes just like her. Lightning got to her feet to check on the others. Fang and Vanille were waking up. Vanille shook Sazh and he grudgingly woke up. As for Snow, Lightning personally woke him up with a punch to his shoulder. She held back as best she could to avoid breaking his arm. He bolted awake and held his arm, pain written all over his tired face.

"What was that for?" he asked sleepily. He opened his eyes to a frowning Lightning.

"Because you deserved it, now get up," she commanded in a tone that reminded everyone that she had been a soldier. Hope could easily imagine her yelling at her troops to get up. He smiled, stretched, and climbed to his feet. Once everyone had taken turns refreshing at the waterfall, they began their trek across The Archylte Steppe to the tunnel that would lead them into Mah'habara. The fighting was as easy as breathing by now. Except for the huge turtle beasts roaming around, they didn't have to run from anything. The Behemoth sprinting in circles was no match and they continued on the path sloping into the tunnels. They rounded the bend in the path to see a Megistotherian fighting a King Behemoth. The roaring was deafening and there didn't seem to be a winner so far.

"What are we going to do now?" Hope asked.

"We either fight them or go around," Fang answered. Lightning nodded.

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't have a chance against those things together,"Sazh commented.

"Stop being pessimistic," Snow stated.

"Wow Snow, didn't know you knew such a word," Lightning said with a smirk.

"Ha ha," Snow retorted sarcastically.

"Stop you two, we need to decide," Fang reprimanded. Lightning flipped out her gunblade, Hope held up his shimmering hands, Snow punched a hand into his other one, Sazh backed away, and Vanille stood twisting her hands worriedly. Fang sighed and took out her spear.

"You guys are outnumbered. If you want, hang back while we take care of business," Fang addressed Sazh and Vanille. They did just that while the others advanced into battle. The monsters did not pay them any attention and continued to fight relentlessly. So, to take advantage, Lightning and Fang attacked the Behemoth while Snow and Hope went for the Megistotherian. In this way, both were weakened and then defeated. Sazh and Vanille rejoined them and together they entered the cool Mah'habara mining tunnels. The damp, crisp temperature made them shiver, all but Lightning whose temperature seemed to have dropped ever since her change.

Hope drifted closer to her as they walked. She kept a close eye on him as she too checked out the place. A line of Hoplites met them down the tunnel. Fighting these Pulse Automata were very different than live monsters. Lightning and Hope had the most experience with them since their journey through the Gapra Whitewood. They ran forward as one, Hope casting magic while Lightning finished them off after they were sufficiently weakened. The others sat back in surprise. In no time, the area was clear. Hope grinned at Lightning who smiled back.

"You guys work well together. Maybe we should stick behind you," Fang said with a smirk. Lightning shrugged and Hope blushed but looked proud.

"Sure, as long as you can keep up," he said with confidence. The others laughed and they continued forward. Lightning and Hope taught the others how to wield magic before using any type of physical attacks. Fang used Ruinga instead since her elemental skills lacked. Sazh, Vanille, and Snow could use elementals well enough. Things went well besides the damn Cryohedrons which resembled the bombs Hope encountered before. With more team mates, they did not risk their lives. As they progressed, Hope taught Vanille how to heal better. She caught on pretty fast. The Rust Puddings were a nuisance but easily defeated; however, the Boxed Phalanx caused enough trouble to anger Lightning. It continued summoning Hoplites until Lightning sliced it clean in half. Towards the end of the tunnel, a rumbling shook the ground.

"That should be Atomos. It seems to be on the move again," Vanille commented. A huge ball of rotating metal and spikes spun into view and stopped between two bridges which cut off in the middle.

"Great, it stopped. So, all we need to do is catch a ride right?" Sazh asked.

"Yep," Fang answered.

"Wait, did you hear that? It sounds like grinding gears," Lightning said, searching the area. Hope kept an eye out as well. He was keen enough to respect Lightning's senses. The others looked confused. Lightning suddenly stood absolutely still. Then she darted back the way they came.

"Move!" she warned. Hope bolted after her and the others took off after a slow start. A colossal collision of screeching metal landed exactly where they stood not too long ago. A Juggernaut now confronted them. A jet of flame burst forth and they scattered. Both Snow and Fang tried to block while Sazh buffed up their resistance. Vanille tried to weaken the Juggernaut's structure while Hope made sure the burns from its flames didn't get too serious. Hope was so busy with the others he couldn't find Lightning anywhere. Once Vanille was done she joined Hope. Sazh finished the buffs and started using magic. Snow took over blocking while Fang ran forward head on and attacked. With the combination of weakening magic and powerful attacks, the Juggernaut slowed down.

Suddenly a clicking sound was heard. No one knew what was going on until it was too late. A huge iron ball shot from the Juggernaut. Seconds from impact, Lightning appeared out of nowhere and caught the ball with some difficulty. The force sent her skidding backwards so hard, her boots hissed and melted slightly and smoke rose. She soon came to a stop, where she hefted the iron ball over her head and then threw it back at the Juggernaut. It rammed straight into it with a creak of busted metal. It toppled over but it wasn't done yet. Another burst of fire spilled forth and Hope counteracted with water magic. The fire still continued until Lightning was engulfed in the flames; everyone gasped. Lightning launched herself out of the harmless flames and soared down like a meteor, gunblade held at the ready. She sliced through the Juggernaut which finally broke down with a squeal of gears. Lightning landed lightly on her toes and turned to the others.

"Whoa, that was so unexpected," Snow stated.

"But we made it and that's all that matters," Vanille said with a triumphant hand raised. They all nodded with a relieved sigh.

"Hey Light, where were you when the fight started?" Hope asked.

"Hiding," she answered stiffly.

"Really Lightning? You were scared?" Snow teased.

"No, I didn't want to slip up and kill you," she hissed in anger. Snow looked confused for a second before he realized he had been injured on his back.

"It happened when we were running out of the way. I saw a stray piece of metal cut you," she explained with a little more control.

"Oh, sorry," he replied as Vanille stepped forward to heal him. Hope stood close to Lightning just in case.

"So much to worry about with so little time," Sazh lamented.

"Don't get depressing Sazh, we still have a lot to do," Fang said as she slapped the older man's shoulder. He winced and held a hand to his shoulder.

"Let's hurry and get a ride from Atomos before it leaves," Vanille warned as she took off for the bridge. The others followed right behind her. Once aboard, Hope had nothing better to do then look at Lightning. She looked in control besides the fact that her eyes sometimes flashed yellow. A sure sign of hunger on the way. Hope held her hand in worry and her grip tightened. She knew he felt her distress and she took comfort that he was there ready to help her again when she needed him.


	12. Chapter 12

They hopped off Atomos and found themselves in an even cooler cavern filled with hues of shimmering green and blues.

"There's water nearby," Vanille said.

"Yeah, it **feels** like there's water nearby," Lightning replied. They entered the winding tunnel ahead of them and came out into a much wider cavern with a pool of water. The path cut straight across some rocks with other rock platforms raised along the way.

"What's this place?" Snow asked Fang.

"It's Salyya Springs," she answered.

"It feels kinda good in here after being in the sun on the Steppe and in a dry dirt tunnel in the Mah'habara," he said. Everyone enjoyed the calm surrounding except Lightning who stood as still as a statue.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Hope asked cautiously.

"Something doesn't feel right," she answered. She caught everyone's attention this time, seeing as her senses didn't fail minutes before with the Juggernaut. A shiver passed through them as the temperature dropped. They unconsciously joined together in a circle, back to back. A shadow rippled through the air and then solidified in front of them. Its eyes opened to reveal red irises with slit pupils. Horns adorned its head and huge claws shaped its hands. The feet supported the body in the same manner as a Behemoth when it changes position to a two-legged stance during battle.

A long whip like tail with a wicked long barb at the end swung lazily back and forth. The body structure of the creature hinted at power. Its image flickered with black fire which surrounded its body. It was then that Lightning realized this feeling of familiarity. It was the unknown creature that had made her what she was. At that moment, it smiled maliciously, showing off very sharp teeth complete with elongated fangs where the canines were located. Fang and Vanille were dumbstruck; they looked like they were seeing a ghost. In some ways it was true.

"You," Lightning snarled as she stalked forward. The Death Wraith didn't move a muscle. She suddenly darted forward, gunblade in position. With a flick of its wrist, the gunblade was deflected. Lightning held on and swiped at it again. This time, it let the weapon pass through it with no harm.

"Of course, it has no body," Vanille said. At that moment, the air around the others shimmered. Hope reached out and his hands met a hard invisible surface. He pounded on the barrier but it didn't budge. They were trapped. The Wraith snagged Lightning's weapon with light speed and threw it. Lightning wasted no time switching to her hands. She launched at the Wraith but it disappeared. She looked around on high alert and spotted it behind her. She jumped forward, and so did the Wraith. They collided, surprisingly, and tumbled to the floor. The Wraith delivered the first blow. Its claw ripped across Lightning's stomach. She clenched her teeth and rolled them over. She grabbed the Wraith's neck in a choke hold and raised her hand. Shadows similar to the Wraith slithered down her arm and turned her hand into a duplicate but more slender claw than the Wraith's.

She struck at its face with a mighty swipe. It moved out of the way and Lightning's attack continued into the rock which shattered at the impact. It lashed out at Lightning who jumped away to avoid it. It followed her retreat and tackled her to the ground. It bared its teeth at her and she growled back at it. A subzero hiss spilled from its mouth like nitrogen and the others covered their ears as they stumbled to the ground. The sound only served to piss Lightning off. She grabbed it by the horn and yanked. With a sharp crack, she tore the horn off and impaled the creature with it. It screeched in pain and bit into her shoulder fiercely. Ice numbed her veins at the same time that fire flared in them. The familiarity of the bite propelled her anger. She grabbed its jaw and wrenched it open. Then she held its throat in a vice grip and slammed it into the ground. When it didn't move, she inspected the bite.

It bit the same place as before. It was already healing but the feeling it left didn't go away. Her vision blurred and her breathing picked up. She felt the change before she had any time to stop it. Her vision suddenly cleared beyond human capacity and she was sure they had changed to yellow. Her hearing enhanced, her teeth sharpened, and that fearful hunger returned. An angry snarl ripped from her throat and she faced the Wraith. More shadows flowed down her arm, making another claw out of her other hand. The Wraith stood and smirked at her challengingly. She darted forward swiftly and it met her halfway.

They attacked each other in a flurry of claws and teeth; tearing at each other wherever they could make contact. When Lightning attacked, the Wraith spilled no blood but its body became dim and less sharp. When the Wraith attacked, it spilled Lightning's blood, making it harder and harder to fight back. Her cape became a tattered mess, scattered around the ground. Healing soon became difficult. She panted slightly and backed away after a particularly gruesome slash to her side. She stumbled, before she fell to her knees. The Wraith drifted forward on wings that sprouted from its back. A claw dug into Lightning's shoulder as it pulled her closer.

"_You are weak young one. You can't hope to overcome me with no blood in your system. Give up your soul as it is mine to take now," _it hissed with a voice that paralyzed the body. Lightning looked directly in its eyes for the first time. What she saw was a shock. Staring back at her was herself. A reflection in its eye of what she looked like. Dark shadows under her yellow eyes, deadly sharp teeth, and tendrils of shadows slowly taking over her body. The shadows had started to climb up her neck and end as a point on her cheek. The eyes shifted to yellow just like hers and it laughed mockingly in a way that made her heart shudder.

"_This is what you will become my servant. There is no turning back on what you are,"_ it taunted. Lightning growled and turned away.

"No, I won't become one of you. I won't kill. I won't slaughter. You can never have my soul!" she snarled as she pushed forward with her teeth bared. She ripped into its shadow flesh while the force of her shove carried them over the edge and into the water. The taste of the Wraith was bitter and full of suffering. A million souls who have suffered in pain and agony were released on her. Her body seized up from the direct attack on her own soul and the Wraith broke down to nothing and disappeared. When the assault was finally over, Lightning went limp and gave up to the blood red water surrounding her. A splash upset the settling red and a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She was hauled out of the water, handled by many hands, and then laid down on solid ground. Snow pulled himself out of the water and sloshed over to the others who were huddled around Lightning.

"Did she just kill a Wraith? That's supposed to be impossible!" Fang exclaimed. Vanille sat quietly with her hands in her signature prayer position. Sazh watched nervously while Hope looked like he would burst into tears. Snow pushed through the others and kneeled next to her. His face was full of sorrow, pain, and worry. Seeing her in such a critical and innocent state hurt him too much. Despite all the fights he went through with her, he cared deeply for her and meant it when he called her his sister. He admired her and saw a stronger version of Serah in the way she acted. The others gave him room as he pulled her off the floor and held her with one arm. He pulled off the glove of his other hand with his teeth and spat it out over his shoulder. He held out his wrist and looked directly at Hope with a determined expression.

Hope nodded and lifted Lightning's gunblade which was lying by his side. He laid the sharp edge on Snow's arm. When the others realized what would come next, they scattered. Mostly because Lightning could come back swinging rather than the fact that they didn't want to see Snow spill his own blood to revive her which disgusted them too. Hope took a breath before he pulled swiftly and a gash opened up on Snow's arm. It gushed freely and the sight of so much made Snow queasy but he continued. He let his blood drop into Lightning's mouth and before long, her shallow breaths became stronger. Her eyes shot open with intense hunger burning in them. She grabbed Snow's arm and bit into it. He grunted in pain but let her do it. When several seconds passed, he began to get dizzy.

"Lightning, that's enough. You're going to kill him," Hope warned as he placed a hand on her cheek. Just the smell of his skin caught her attention. She released Snow from her death grip and he slumped over; barely catching himself. She pushed off Snow and followed Hope who slowly lured her away from him. Hope looked around for the others but they were nowhere in sight. He finally stopped and allowed her to catch up. She went straight for his shoulder just like before and sunk her teeth in. His body didn't react as bad as the other time but he was still having problems standing up. Her hand snaked around his waist to keep him standing. When he started to feel dizzy, she let go. He went limp and she guided him to the floor. She was breathing hard and then growled threateningly. Sazh had come a little too close and her territorial instincts kicked in. She glared daggers at him and he backed away. Fang and Vanille came running and Vanille stopped sooner than Fang who dared to get closer. She leveled her spear at Lightning.

"Light, please don't hurt them. You can control it," Snow forced out through labored breaths. Lightning looked at him and then back to the others. She rose to her feet and then swayed off balance. She held her head in her hands for a moment before letting them drop. Shadows still hung under her eyes but her sharp teeth were gone and so were the yellow eyes. She fell to her hands and knees and took deep breaths. Fang advanced cautiously until she reached Snow and Hope. She checked them for a pulse and made sure the injuries were healed.

"These are two of the stupidest guys I've ever met, but at least they're stupidity accounts for something since they are doing it for the person they care about," she reasoned. Lightning pushed herself to her feet and made her way to a rock structure up high and away from the others. She sat up there, keeping watch over them to give her something to do besides brood over what happened. It felt so wrong doing this to the people she cared about but it seemed like her other half could care less. Mostly towards Snow but something about Hope still interested the demon half and that was something she had to find out. For now, she would keep her distance until she was needed. It turned out she was needed much sooner than expected from someone even more unexpected.


	13. Chapter 13

Snow quietly sat next to Lightning and waited for her to acknowledge him. She glanced at him but he found for the first time that he couldn't talk.

"What do you want?" Lightning asked warily. He looked lost for a moment.

"Just wanted to talk," he answered in the calmest tone Lightning ever heard him use.

"Why did you do it?" she questioned him in confusion. He looked like he didn't understand at first but then he did.

"I know we don't see eye to eye all the time Light, but I mean it when I say that I really do consider you my sister. I look up to your strong personality and see Serah when you choose to show your soft side to that kid. I know you're capable of so much happiness if you ever had a chance at it but that's why I try so hard to see you smile. I guess, I just want to say that I care for you Light even if neither of us show it and I want to let you know that I'm there for you whenever you need me," he stated with a slight blush of embarrassment. Lightning looked at him in awe with a small smile alight on her face. She took his hand in her own and leaned on his shoulder.

"Thank you Snow, you're the best brother I never had," she replied. Without warning, Snow scooped her up in a strong hug and held her against him. When he let her go, there were tears in his eyes.

"Snow?" Lightning questioned. She never saw him cry before and never thought it possible, but even the worst of times can bring the happiest people down.

"I just- I just thought I lost you. I know it sounds cheesy but I mean it. You're the last thing I have left of Serah; of someone she loves, and I'm losing hope of ever finding her. I know she's out there somewhere because I can feel it, but where?" he said with a cracked voice and silent tears. Lightning pulled him into another hug.

"Don't worry Snow, we **will** find her," she reassured him. She pulled away to see him nod and wipe the tears away.

"Together we will find her right Claire?" he said as he held her hand. She smiled at her long lost name and nodded.

"Right," she stated encouragingly. He smiled and released her hand. He turned and walked back over to the others but stopped after a few steps.

"By the way, the kid has been asking for you," he told her.

"Ok, tell him I'll be there soon," she replied. He nodded and was about to turn around when she called him.

"If you need me, I'll always be there for you too," she told him. He grinned and in a moment, he was back to the old Snow. He gave her a thumbs-up with the hand that still had no glove and continued towards the group. She spotted the scar of her bite. Lightning stayed there a few minutes more before she too went back. When she arrived, Hope immediately pulled her into a hug. She patted his back and smiled softly at him, wondering if she really did resemble Serah in a way. Snow was an expert on all things Serah related so it seemed so. When everything was finally settled, and Snow found his glove, they left Salyya Springs and headed for Taejin's Tower which sat fused to a rock wall close to a cliff. The path ahead looked like easy monsters roamed by. A couple fights later, they stood at the entrance to the tower.

"So, when we finally get to the top what will we expect?" Lightning asked Fang and Vanille as she put a hand on her hip expectantly.

"We haven't been through here in so long, but once we get to the top there should be a path leading to our home. If I remember correctly, the only danger in here is the Fal'Cie Dahaka. It guards the tower from intruders," Vanille answered.

"Not a problem," Lightning said as she walked forward. The others followed inside, and were immediately attacked by a wayward Managarmr. Its claws flashed across Snow who employed his safeguard just in time. Fang jumped in and took down the Magnagarmr with a strong swipe of her spear.

"You know, I can move just as fast as you Miss Special-" Fang began proudly but Lightning cut her off as she darted forward suddenly and killed a sneaky Magnagarmr behind Fang. She put away her weapon and looked at Fang with a smirk.

"What were you saying?" She said with an eyebrow raised. Fang smiled and laughed as the others relaxed.

"That's some quick reflexes there," Fang commented. Lightning shrugged and they continued up the convoluted puzzle that was Taejin's Tower. Halfway up the tower they came across a massive Gelatitan. Its mass slid across the floor and faced them. The ooze running down its body looked like it could trap anything. Vanille and Hope released magic like crazy until it staggered. Without the magic, the others attacks didn't do anything. Even Lightning's dangerous swipes did nothing to slow it down. When it looked like it would finally fall, it instead flung out an arm at them. Lightning pushed everyone out of the way and was scooped up and lost in its body.

"What the heck happened?" Sazh wondered in a daze. Everyone was winded by Lightning's abrupt decision. The blob convulsed and a large lump pressed away from its body.

"I think we should take cover. That thing is about to get a rude awakening," Snow warned. They all ducked behind a stairway and almost instantaneously, pieces of the Gelatitan splattered all over the room. They peered over the top of the stairway to see Lightning standing where the blob was; covered in the goop and completely pissed off. Where Hope stood, he could see yellow flash in her eyes and he tensed. She shuddered and shook off the goop the best she could. She closed her eyes, took a breath and let it out slowly. When she opened her eyes, they were blue. They all came out from cover and each took a playful stab at Lightning's state. She took it all in stride and even smiled at their antics.

"Hope, do you mind?" Lightning addressed him. He nodded and sent a torrent of water at her. She now stood dripping and as unhappy as a cat. He then followed up with Aeroga which he had recently learned on the path leading to the tower. The powerful winds almost knocked down the others but didn't affect Lightning besides drying her off somewhat. She smoothed out her uniform and thanked Hope. He blushed a little and followed close behind her as they ascended the tower. The very top of the tower exposed them all to the bright sun they had not seen for hours. A little sightseeing led to an angry Amphisbaena. It swooped down and Snow gave it a good punch to its head with a fist full of thunder. It shrieked in pain and dived towards Sazh who let off a few rounds.

It hung a tight turn past the threat and crashed into the floor. Hope used Aeroga once more while Fang jumped on top of the beast. She stabbed it with her spear and it threw her off and then launched into the air. Lightning ran forward to finish it. She replaced Fang on her perch and held on to the Amphisbaena with a good grip on Fang's spear which was still stuck in its back. It roared and dive bombed to try and upheave its unwelcome passenger. At the last minute before impact, Lightning grabbed the spear tightly and pulled it down its back with enough force to cleave it in two. The spear wasn't nearly as sharp as Lightning's gunblade so the process seemed to drag. Never the less, the creature still dive bombed but with no harm to Lightning. She hopped off the fallen beast as it fell and landed as gracefully as a cat. She handed Fang her weapon.

"You should keep your weapon sharp. It helps make the battle easier on you," Lightning advised.

"Mind giving me some pointers?" Fang asked. Lightning nodded and their talk dissolved into weapon maintenance. The others were confused. There were times when Lightning looked ready to kill Fang, of course when she couldn't help it, but at other times as well. But here they were, talking about weapons.

"At least she isn't angry or upset," Hope commented as he walked away from the battle area and sat down. Snow, Vanille, and Sazh followed. Vanille checked on Fang sometimes to make sure a fight didn't break out. Hope reassured her that nothing was going to happen. When night finally fell, they kept together a little more closely than they would have. The tower made them all feel uneasy. By the time the sun had risen, they had all woken up. They stretched and prepared a breakfast which happened to be the creature they defeated before resting. After they ate, Fang led the group forward. They almost reached the transportation that would take them to Oerba when the tower suddenly shook.

"What's happening?" Sazh asked with some panic.

"I don't know," Fang answered. At that moment, Dahaka rose out of the tower. It twisted in the air before it settled itself in the middle of the tower.

"What does it want?" Vanille wondered. Her answer came in the form of a strike. They all scattered.

"It wants us dead, that's what," Snow shouted. It roared and lunged again. This time, Lightning halted its advance. Sazh cast some boosting magic in hopes of bolstering their chances in the fight. Dahaka frequently sent a slew of ailments at them which were taken away by Vanille. Hope stayed busy healing during the intense attack of the Fal'Cie. After some time dragged by, the Fal'Cie still refused to be defeated.


	14. Chapter 14

A devastating Fulminous Firestorm directed at Fang blew her away with a scream of pain. She landed harshly and skidded a few feet.

"Fang!" Vanille cried out in panic. She ran towards her and was swept away by the Fal'Cie. She tumbled but got back up.

"Vanille, don't risk it. She'll be ok. We need to stay together!" Snow shouted as he gestured for her to come back. She ignored him and continued towards her. Dahaka roared in rage and attacked them all with a Bone-chilling Breaker. Sazh knocked out but Snow barely held on. Hope was in the middle of healing himself so he survived the attack too. Nothing could stop Lightning when she fought. Hope re-healed himself and Snow.

Dahaka seemed to forget about them though as it continued to taunt Vanille. She was weak and tired from trying so hard to get to Fang. Snow sprinted forward, fists blazing. Dahaka turned on him and easily swatted him away. Lightning put a hand on Hope's shoulder, a silent warning to stay back. Then she too ran in to attack. She only managed a gash before it picked up Vanille and threw her at Lightning. She sheathed her weapon quickly and jumped to catch Vanille. She caught her but the force of the throw slammed them into each other and they tumbled to the ground.

"Hope! Heal Vanille! The collision might have hurt her severely," Lightning said as she ran to Hope, set Vanille at his feet and ran back into battle. Hope kneeled next to her and was about to begin when Snow limped over.

"Hey Hope. In case we die, I want to apologize for starting a fight with you back there. I'm sorry I let her down, but I'm sorrier that I let you down. Can you ever forgive me?" Snow said sadly as he held his bruised side. Hope was shocked at first but then he wordlessly reached over and healed Snow. Snow smiled and Hope returned it. A burst of light illuminated from the ground and Hope looked down at Vanille. She was curled on her side with tears falling down her face. Light flared from her brand. Hope's eyes widened as he grabbed Snow's arm and tried to pull him away. Snow gladly followed the pull and the two ran away.

They reached Sazh and Snow picked him up and continued to make distance between them and Vanille. Lightning was beginning to get frustrated at the stubborn Fal'Cie. She tried her strongest attacks but it would not fall. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the glimmer of light and saw Hope and Snow run away. She turned to see what was going on and was slammed aside by Dahaka. She landed next to Fang who still had not moved. Her attention shifted back to Dahaka who had just screamed in agony. What looked like a thousand hands gripped the Fal'Cie out of nowhere while the other hands stabbed, punched, and swiped at it.

Then, it spun all the arms, cutting chunks off the Fal'Cie. It shrieked one last time and plummeted down into the tower. A huge thump echoed back up as it hit the ground below. Lightning looked at the new eidolon standing before her. It raised one hand to its shoulder and carefully set Vanille on the ground. She waved as it disappeared. By this time, Sazh was coming around as Hope healed him. He missed the eidolon but both Hope and Snow gazed at Vanille in shock. Vanille ignored the stares and ran to Fang's side. Hope jumped to his feet and followed her. Vanille kneeled by Fang and a moment later Hope did too. Together they released a cure and hoped for the best.

"Vanille, is that you? That must have been a really strong attack because I'm still sore," Fang said with a groan. Vanille cried in happiness and grabbed Fang in a hug.

"Whoa, hold on. I'm still healing," Fang said. Hope cast one more cure and Vanille helped Fang to her feet.

"I think we just saw another eidolon," Snow said. Fang looked at Vanille proudly and Vanille smiled.

"Hecatoncheir," Vanille said simply. Everyone sighed in relief at the miracle and slowly walked toward their transportation to Oerba. Once they boarded, it started up and in a few minutes it stopped. They exited to a vast land of white.

"We're finally home," Fang said and Vanille nodded. They took lead of the group as they entered the old village. It might as well have been a ghost town. Random signs of the past could be seen but it was silent and rundown. Fang and Vanille led them to a nearby dwelling.

"This is where we used to live," Fang said as the others entered and looked around.

"Ow!" Lightning yelled suddenly and everyone jumped from the loud sound. Hope looked to see Lightning sitting on the ground outside the door. She rubbed her back with an irritated expression. It didn't hurt as much as it caught her off guard.

"What the hell was that?" Lightning said angrily.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. The elders put some kind of barrier on the houses against the Wraiths. We all laughed and thought they weren't true for the most part but I guess it works," Fang said with a laugh.

"I told you not to doubt them Fang," Vanille said with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, I guess I owe that old geezer an apology," Fang said nostalgically. Lightning got to her feet.

"Well, what do I do now?" Lightning asked.

"Camp out. You're made of tough stuff," Fang answered. Lightning huffed and turned away.

"I'm going to take a look around then while you guys get comfortable," she said as she walked away. Hope looked worried and Snow noticed.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine," Snow said confidently.

"But-" Hope said uncertainly.

"Let her blow off some steam. Come on. I'm in need of a nap. Now that I know I won't get killed by the worst thing I've seen so far, I want to sleep," Snow said as he joined the others in various positions of relaxation.

"What do you mean by 'worst thing you've seen'?" Hope asked suspiciously.

"Calm down kid, he meant the Wraiths," Fang spoke up. Hope glared at them and walked out. The sun was beginning to set so he couldn't follow Lightning to wherever she went. He waited for her in the house by the door. He may trust Lightning, but like Fang said, there were other things out and about. Sleep fell on him slowly. When he awoke, it was dark outside. Crunching footsteps alerted him. He sat up quickly but then relaxed; the reflection of Lightning's eyes tipped him off. She walked to the door and settled down right outside. He frowned and got up to sit in the doorway.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," she replied as she glanced at him.

"You ok out here?" he asked in concern. A light chuckle answered him.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm the one the monsters should be afraid of," she said playfully. What Snow said earlier came to mind.

"You aren't all that dangerous Light," he told her.

"Yeah, and the Behemoths just want a hug," she replied bitterly. He sighed and stood up. He made his way to her side, using the light of the moon but he still couldn't see. He fell over as he tried to sit down and landed on Lightning. He heard her inhale and hold her breath. The way he fell put him in a position where he was looking directly into her eyes. They were a sharp blue; still in the clear and away from change. He blushed from staring so long and put some distance between them. She finally exhaled and looked at him with some irritation.

"I know you have a death wish now," she stated. He only frowned and shook his head.

"Do you mind me asking you what you were doing out there?" he asked quietly.

"Scouting as always," she answered.

"Only scouting?" he questioned. A bothered expression crossed her face briefly.

"No, I was trying out animals," she replied with some irritation.

"You mean to eat?" he said cautiously. She nodded.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Not so good. I tried but it didn't want it. The animals didn't have a taste and it didn't satisfy. It worries me that that option is out. I guess I really am a danger to you guys," she said. Hope thought he heard sorrow under all those layers of anger but he kept it to himself. Instead, he leaned over and gently took her hand in his. She smiled a little and looked at him.

"Why do you stay?" she questioned curiously as her smile faded.

"What do you mean?" he said bewildered.

"Why do you insist on helping me? It isn't worth it. I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to you," she said quietly. Her hand tightened in his.

"Nothing will happen. I'll always be here to help you through anything," he replied. He sat closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. She tensed but stayed where she was, a content smile forming on her lips.


	15. Chapter 15

Lightning responded to the gesture and put her arms around him. Then she pulled away and gazed into his sea green eyes.

"Um, hey Light, I-" he began but she cut him off.

"Call me Claire," she said. He blushed happily and nodded.

"Claire, I wanted to ask you something," he said as heat flooded his face. The feeling of using her real name gave him confidence.

"Yes Hope, what is it?" she said. He looked down in embarrassment and then looked back at her. He hesitantly let her hand drop and reached toward her face. She flinched away at first but when his hand made contact with her cheek, she sighed.

"Hope, please, I don't want to hurt you," she warned. She closed her eyes in content though.

"You won't," he replied, surprisingly relaxed. Her eyes opened and a flash of yellow passed through them.

"Calm down Claire. Control it, don't let it control you," he said as he held her face between his hands comfortingly. She closed her eyes and grimaced in concentration. She sighed once more as her features reached serenity. He smiled at her success.

"See, I knew you could do it," he whispered quietly before leaning forward and softly capturing her lips with his own. Her eyes shot open in shock. She wanted to push him away and release her famous wrath she saved for Snow; but deep down she felt the darkness coil and writhe in pleasure. That feeling blossomed as she returned his kiss. She could feel him smile in triumph. She pressed closer to him as one of his hands reached out to her side. He let his hand trace her body and enjoyed the shiver that followed.

She slowly gained the advantage and pressed him into the ground. By now they were panting and Lightning's eyes were yellow. He pulled her to him after a sufficient break and rolled her under him so he held himself over her. He kissed her jaw and then made his way down her neck. The strange yet sensual purring sound returned. He smirked and gently nipped her neck. A growl of pleasure rumbled through her. He returned to her lips and deepened the kiss. He ran his tongue fearlessly over her sharp teeth. Her tongue found his and pushed him out of her mouth and into his. When she retreated, she nicked his lip with her teeth and licked off the blood. He felt her shudder under him.

"Hope," she pleaded in a tone that hinted at her change but made him want her more. He kissed her once more before he pulled off his bandana. He leaned close and bared his neck. She nuzzled his neck before she bit into his skin. He expected pain but instead he felt pleasure. She dug in deeper before she licked the bite and pulled away. He felt weak from the blood loss and she sensed it. She easily rolled them over again and let him rest against the ground. They were both still panting and Lightning was having a hard time keeping herself in line. Before she could move away, he pulled her to him so she laid flush against him.

The familiar embrace soothed her somewhat but her darker side wanted more. She felt like an addict who wanted just one more rush but was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. Hope seemed to have read her mind because he pulled her in for another kiss but purposely cut his tongue on her teeth. She caressed his tongue with her own, trying to get every last bit of the freshly spilled blood. She pulled away reluctantly and tried not to think about what her darker side wanted now. She was pulled out of her struggle when Hope placed a hand against her cheek. She could see an unknown sparkle in his eyes and he smiled weakly. She noticed how pale he was and tried to distance herself but he still held on.

"I've stayed by your side because ever since I met you, I felt deep down that I had to be the one to be there for you. I kept feeling a pull in your direction and can only describe the feeling as a craving. Contact with you made me feel better, even giving you my blood made me feel good. I thought I might be crazy but what's going on between us is more than just physical. I feel like my soul has connected with yours. And I'm not afraid to say that because of that feeling, I think I love you Claire," Hope stated in a ragged voice full of feeling. Her eyes softened even though they were still yellow. A single tear ran down her face. He lifted a finger to brush it away.

"I felt that pull too. I didn't think it could possibly be anything but I guess I was wrong. My desire for you is more than what it seems Hope. I don't want to end up killing you though. I can't say I love you yet since I'm not sure I'm capable of that but I do care about you so much it hurts sometimes. Don't sacrifice for me," she pleaded. Hope shook his head.

"I've already fallen for you. Let me help you back into the light," he replied. She smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around him. He squeezed her against him and together they enjoyed the embrace. Hope calmly felt their hearts beat and listened to her breathing slow down to a rhythmic pattern. He followed her into sleep, exhausted from losing so much blood but with a content smile on his face. Sunlight woke him up in the morning.

He slowly opened his eyes to help them adjust. He was lying on his side and Lightning lay on her side behind him. Her arms were around his middle. Her back was against the rock wall behind them. He smiled and stretched carefully. Lightning felt his movement and bolted awake. She sat up and leaned over him protectively as she scanned the area. She relaxed when he placed a hand over hers. She looked down at him with alert yellow eyes. His hand traveled up her arm softly and the yellow dissipated into her normal icy blue.

"Good morning," he said his voice a bit scratchy.

"Morning," she replied. He smiled and kissed her cheek affectionately.

"We have to be careful about that around the others. I'm not ready to let them know yet especially Fang. Don't call me Claire around them either. We can save those things for moments between us," she advised. He nodded in understanding.

"So don't get offended if I treat you like this never happened. You know I care about you," she said as she cuddled closer to him. He smiled and held her close before they had to part. Lightning climbed to her feet and helped Hope up. They dusted off their cloths and Hope prepared to return to the others. Lightning grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. She licked her finger and rubbed off a spot of blood on his chin. He smiled and she returned it.

"Time to return to reality," Hope commented. She nodded and then looked over his shoulder at the doorway. Hope sighed and picked his bandana off the ground. He tied it around his neck, covering the marred skin of his shoulder. Then, he entered the house. Everyone was still out cold. He moved forward to wake up Vanille who was closest but stopped as his eyes fell on a small device not too far away. He picked it up and rotated it in his hand. It didn't seem to work, but he didn't have enough time to examine it because Vanille had woken up. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Hope. Her tired eyes finally focused and they lit up happily.

"Bhakti!" she exclaimed. Hope looked at her in confusion until he realized that she was talking about the device in his hand.


	16. Chapter 16

He handed her the strange device and she took it from him with care.

"This is Bhakti. He has a knack for finding cool items. He even gives good advice. Fang and I always consulted him. Except, it looks like he doesn't work," she explained.

"Here, let me take a look," he offered with an outstretched hand. She gave it back to him and he continued to examine it.

"It seems to be missing a Battery Pack, a Power Cable, a Trochoid Gear, a Plate, and an Aspheric Lens," Hope muttered. Vanille looked at him, slightly impressed. Hope shrugged.

"I know a little about machinery. Bhakti looked weird at first but I realized my dad has one of these things just a lot newer," he said.

"Once the others wake up, maybe we can find some spare parts and fix him?" she suggested. He nodded and handed Bhakti back. He then continued to wake the others. Snow grumbled but got up. Fang woke up just as easily as Vanille, and Sazh was somewhere in between the two.

"Man, is it time to get up already?" Snow said with a yawn.

"Complainer," Fang commented as she stretched. Snow frowned at her and then lay back down.

"If Snow wants to sleep still why don't we search for the spare parts for Bhakti before we move on?" Hope suggested.

"You found Bhakti?" Fang said with a happy lilt in her tone. Vanille nodded and the two shared memories. Sazh stumbled to his feet.

"If you guys are leaving I'm going too. I need to exercise this old body," he said. They gathered together and headed for the door. Lightning stood leaning against the rock wall they slept next to last night. Her arms were crossed and her head was back with her eyes closed. When they came out she didn't even twitch.

"Hey Lightning, do you want to help us fix Bhakti?" Vanille asked brightly.

"I think I'll just hang out here," she replied lazily without moving.

"Ok," Vanille said with a shrug.

"Ok then, you can babysit Snow for us. He's still asleep inside, the poor kid," Fang said as she winked at Hope. Lightning opened one eye and turned her head towards them.

"No problem. Nothing will get past me," she replied. Then she returned back to the way she was.

"She could be a statue standing like that," Sazh commented when they left. Hope followed out of necessity. They needed him to spot the parts Sazh might not know, but if it was up to him, he would be back at the house relaxing with Lightning. The parts were pretty much easy to find. There were no monsters around at all. Only a few animals scurried out of sight at their approach. One particular item was slightly hard to come by. The Aspheric Lens was nowhere to be found. They searched every nook and cranny and soon had to give up. They headed back towards the house in defeat and decided to rest out of the sun before returning to the search. The white landscape was blinding Hope. He wondered how Lightning was. When they got back she was gone. Snow was gone too.

"Maybe they left to find food or something?" Sazh suggested. The only thing left to do was wait. A long time later, they finally showed up. Lightning was striding way ahead of Snow, lugging a big wolf. She dropped the body by the house, turned around, and left again without a glance at the others. No matter how much she obtained from Hope, the smell of fresh human blood always got her other side's attention. The reason she left so fast was Snow's fault. He came limping into the house and sat down heavily. Vanille healed him.

"She took off quick huh?" he panted tiredly.

"What happened?" Fang asked.

"Well, I was sleeping until an awful racket woke me up. I looked outside to see Lightning in a fight with a pack of wolves. When they realized they couldn't win, they retreated. She ran after them and I followed. I asked her what was up and she told me they had a strange item. I was confused until we finally caught up. One of the wolves held a weird glass thing in its jaw. In the fight that followed I got hurt. Hand to hand is no good with angry wolves cuz you have to get really close. After that, she kept her distance. I suggested we take a wolf back with us to eat. I don't know if that's a good idea or not but she did it so I guess it's alright," he explained.

"It's not the best but we can still eat it," Fang said.

"So did you get the item back?" Snow asked.

"Yeah, Light probably has it still," Snow replied. Hope smiled at the nickname Snow used. He no longer got angry now that he knew he could call her by her real name.

"Well now we don't need to go back out," Vanille said. In the meantime, Fang and Vanille readied the wolf and they ate as they waited for Lightning to return. She came back at dusk and silently sat outside the door. Hope looked up when she approached and got up after she sat down. He walked over to her and sat next to her.

"Hey, good job with Snow. Was it hard?" he asked.

"No, it's too easy resisting his blood," she said playfully. He laughed and she did too.

"In all honesty, I didn't give myself a chance to linger on the smell. That's why I carried the wolf. Its blood smelled unappetizing and kept me from attacking him. I held my breath after I put down the wolf just in case. I took some time to put myself together and then came back here," she explained to him.

"I thought so," Hope replied knowingly. He smiled at her and she could see that he was patiently waiting for some kind of contact.

"Here's the lens by the way," she said, as she held it out. He took it from her and managed to hold her hand in his briefly before he pulled away.

"I'll go give it to Vanille. Be right back," he said. She nodded and he got up and returned inside. He stayed long enough to fix up Bhakti. When it started up, Vanille jumped in excitement.

"Going back to Light, Hope?" Snow asked as he pulled him aside. Hope looked surprised.

"It might be surprising but I pay attention when I want to, especially when it involves my sister. You like her don't you? I'm not complaining she can be ok when she wants to. I'm not going to tell you to be careful or don't let her near you because I know you both can handle the situation. All I want to say is I'm glad she has someone to support her and be there in a way no one else can," Snow said with a smile. He patted Hope on the shoulder. For a moment, Hope felt like he admired Snow for the first time. He looked at Snow's arm and saw the scar. His hand remained on Hope's shoulder, the same one that was just as scarred as the arm resting on it.

"We can both be there for her. You're her brother after all," Hope said, returning his smile. Snow turned away and Hope thought he saw him rub his eyes. He walked towards the door and saw that Lightning had moved back by the wall.

"Wish you could join us inside," he said as he settled down next to her.

"Why? Is it too scary for you out here?" she teased.

"No, I just think it would be nice for you to have more company than me," he said.

"You're the only company I need," she replied, looking away.

"You seem distracted," Hope commented.

"I was thinking about Serah. Snow can't find her. I've been worrying for so long about killing that I didn't have time to worry about her. I feel so horrible. Snow loves her so much and understands how much she means to me. He's been there for me through so much. The least I can do is find her for **him** not for me. I need to make sure she's ok. Now that I know I can get through this with your help, he needs someone to stand by too," she said thoughtfully.

"Do you have any idea where she could be?" Hope asked as he took her hand and held it in his.

"She might be back on Cocoon in Eden. They took captured L'Cie there if they haven't killed them yet. Before I left with my troops, Snow came to me for help. He said that he couldn't find her. I was harsh with him. I wanted to find her on my own. That's why I left in the first place. They weren't letting any transportation to Eden where we were so I thought I could make a trip to Nautilus. They always allowed transportation and I hoped the fight hadn't reached that city yet. It was a truly stupid idea but my anger and sadness kept me from thinking clearly.

We were attacked on our way out. When I realized I survived, I was grounded back into reality. I failed Serah. By then I just wandered around until you caught my attention. I had no warning so I followed my new unknown instinct. It led me straight to you. I'm sorry I treated you so badly by the way, but I was still struggling with my failure. I guess I was just too stubborn to admit it. I let you follow me because even though I didn't know you, you made me feel better. It irritated me more not knowing why. I think I saw this journey as another chance to find Serah and I think Snow does too. So now we're here," Lightning explained.

"We should find a way back to Cocoon then," Hope said.

"What?" she said.

"Let's go to Eden and find your sister. After all, what else will we do besides pig out here every day?" he said. She smiled and gave him a hug.


	17. Chapter 17

Hope returned inside to suggest that they go to Cocoon. Snow jumped up, excited to get going. He knew Serah was there. Fang and Vanille were reluctant to leave their home a second time.

"Lightning wants to go and find Serah too Snow. What else are we going to do? Sit here? I don't know about you but we should go save her. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing," Hope said, just as excited. He wanted to do anything to make Lightning and Snow happy.

"Wait, wait, wait, we aren't doing 'nothing'. If you haven't noticed, we're finally home," Fang said.

"Yes, **you** are. But the rest of us have family we need to save. What about them?" Hope retorted.

"Well then go! What's holding you back?" she said.

"Dajh, I can find my son," Sazh said, finally speaking up.

"What?" Fang said.

"My son was taken to Eden. A Fal'Cie branded him too. That's how I got dragged into this mess. I was trying to find him," Sazh said sadly.

"Then you can go with them but we can't leave," Fang said turning her back.

"Look, we agreed to come here. Now it's your turn to help us home," Sazh said, jumping on the band wagon. Snow nodded in agreement.

"I said we aren't going anywhere," she replied stubbornly. Vanille looked torn.

"My six year old kid is out there somewhere, possibly in danger, and all you can say is find him yourself? What's the matter with you?" Sazh shot back.

"I already saved the only person I care about and reached my destination! I have no reason to leave!" she shouted, turning to Sazh.

"Fine; stay here for who knows how long living your dream but **I **can't stay! My boy needs me!" he yelled. He grunted in pain and put a hand to his chest. Light shimmered through his jacket. Fang was glaring at Sazh before her brand burst into light too. At that moment, Lightning appeared at Hope's side and picked him up. He was surprised to see her. He didn't think she could come in, but then he saw her expression. It was contorted in pain and her demonic features were showing. She managed to get him out of the house in time. Snow grabbed Vanille after some hesitation and ran toward the door.

"Fang don't!" Vanille yelled as she pushed against Snow. But it was too late. Snow made it out of the house, and with a burst of magic, both Sazh and Fang had an eidolon standing by their side. They tore the house apart when they appeared. A huge purple dragon stood by Fang, a red being stood next to Sazh.

"Bahamut attack him!" Fang yelled, pointing at Sazh.

"Let's get 'em Brynhilder!" Sazh shouted. Bahamut shifted until it too resembled a being instead of a dragon. The eidolons both shot forward with their leaders sitting on their shoulders. They clashed and proceeded to tear each other apart. Brynhilder's weapon struck Bahamut powerfully while Bahamut tore at Brynhilder with its claws.

"What the hell are we going to do? They're going to kill each other!" Snow panicked.

"Lightning, what do we do?" Vanille asked in a small, scared voice. Lightning looked lost for a moment and then ran forward. She was still in her demon form and relied on her strength and regeneration to get her through her crazy idea. She swiftly launched herself up to Brynhilder's shoulder. She was knocked down a few times and even found herself hanging off its weapon when she almost fell off and had nothing else to hold on to. She jumped from the weapon and landed on its shoulder. She tackled Sazh off the eidolon. Seconds before hitting the ground, she put herself in the way.

They rebounded off the ground so hard Lightning lost her grip on Sazh and the force of the collision sent him flying. When he finally skidded to a stop and she saw him try to get up, she ran back to the fighting eidolons to repeat the process. Fang wouldn't stop without a fight. She saw Lightning scaling her eidolon and risked a few hits from Brynhilder to command Bahamut to keep Lightning off. It missed her a few times but it soon caught her in its grasp. Its claw came close to impaling her but she pushed it away in time. It threw her toward Brynhilder when she continued to dodge its claws. She used the momentum to push off Brynhilder and shoot back at Fang. She collided with her, and together they crashed into the side of Bahamut's head.

"Stay out of my way!" Fang yelled, swinging at Lightning. Lightning only continued to hold on. Her darker side would have just wanted Fang dead at this point and Lightning was having a hard time keeping her own temper down. Fang finally landed a punch which Lightning barely felt. Fang however flinched as her hand cracked. Lightning snarled and grabbed her by the neck, forcefully pinning her against the eidolon.

"Don't make me hurt you Fang. Back down now so I can let you go," she warned. Her voice came out in a bone chilling hiss, reminiscent of the creature that changed her. She felt Fang shudder and then fall limp. Lightning's eyes widened in shock. She wondered if she was capable of such a thing. She thought back to the Wraith who made her body feel numb. She was already half demon and could not be paralyzed, but if she was able to utilize this skill, Fang wouldn't stand a chance. Lightning wasted no time and picked up Fang. She jumped off the hovering eidolon and landed rather roughly. They rolled to a stop and she looked up to see Snow running toward her. In the distance, Hope and Vanille were crouched next to Sazh who had his head in his hands.

"I'll take her off your hands. We're trying to encourage Sazh to connect with his eidolon and stop the fight, but seeing as you knocked out poor Fang…" he said.

"Wake her up then. Find some way to stop them because I'm not strong enough on my own," she said.

"I'll send Shiva then and Hope can break it up easily with Alexander," Snow suggested.

"No, I don't want more violence. I've learned enough by now that it will only make things worse. Make Sazh and Fang stop them. I'll stall any way I can," she shouted before she ran back toward the eidolons. They were in a pretty poor state. Snow returned with Fang and set her down next to Sazh. Hope revived her and she woke up swinging. A stray fist knocked Snow on his ass. Hope jumped back just in time. Vanille jumped to her feet and ran to Fang's side.

"Fang, please listen to me! You need to stop this! It isn't sensible! Please, you have to stop!" she pleaded. Fang looked at Vanille and saw the tears running down her face. Meanwhile Hope was trying to talk sense into Sazh.

"Sazh, stop your eidolon. We don't need to fight over differences. We will go and save Dajh together. Lightning, Snow, and I will help you find him. Trust me," he reasoned. Sazh nodded sadly and gave in. Fang couldn't stand the look on Vanille's face and sighed. Together, they dismissed their beat up eidolons. When the dust settled, Lightning came back tired and worn out. She was covered in dust and dried blood was on her arm. Hope jumped to his feet and ran toward her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a scrape it's already healed," she replied. He channeled a small stream of water and washed down her arm. While Hope took care of Lightning, Snow sat rubbing his cheek where Fang punched him.

"Well look who came back swinging," Snow accused as he glared at Fang. Both Sazh and Fang looked down right dejected. At that moment, Lightning and Hope arrived.

"Let's all just settle down," Lightning suggested calmly. Her eyes slowly faded back to blue. She sat next to Snow tiredly and Hope followed. They all sat for what seemed like hours before Fang and Sazh apologized.

"Good, now that that's settled, let's get going," Lightning said. She got up and helped Sazh to his feet. Snow and Hope followed suit.

"Hope we meet again," Lightning said to the two still sitting. Fang refused to answer and Vanille only whimpered sadly. The group of four started forward but Fang stopped them.

"Wait. We're coming too," Fang called out as she shakily stood up. Vanille's characteristic smile started to come back.

"We aren't going to have any more fights between us are we? Cuz I have to admit, I'm getting kinda tired of 'em," Snow said.

"No, I'm not going to even show any disagreement. We should stick together. You're right, I've reached my home and it's important that you reach yours," Fang stated. Without anything more to be said, the group of six started forward through the village. When they were hunting for spare parts, they had found an exit. With no other ideas, they set out in that direction, hoping to find a path that would lead them to Eden and not another personal hell. The day was almost over and they were all tired. Lightning was the only one more mentally tired than physically. The important thing was that they continued forward together.


	18. Chapter 18

They reached a building with a staircase inside. The temperature inside was reasonable so they all settled down. They were all so tired that journeying a short distance seemed to take forever. Fang and Vanille sat next to each other. Snow was helping Sazh walk so they settled down next to each other. Hope and Lightning found a dark corner of the room to sit. Lightning couldn't help finding shadows to take shelter. She would do anything to sooth the darkness within herself.

"Hey Light how did you get in the house?" Hope wondered.

"A **lot** of concentration and the thought of you getting hurt. When I heard the fight break out, I felt the shift in power. I knew something was up," she replied.

"Didn't it hurt?" he asked.

"It hurt, but I had to get to you. Plus, if Snow died Serah would never forgive me. We have to look out for each other to keep her happy remember?" she teased, trying to loosen the mood. Hope chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember," he replied.

"So, what do you think we'll find over here?" Hope said.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it better lead us back to Cocoon," she said, threatening the unknown future. He leaned against her shoulder and intertwined his fingers with her own. She heaved a big sigh and gently squeezed his hand.

"Oh, poor Bhakti, he just got fixed and now who knows what happened to him," Vanille said quietly. She began talking about its advice and something about the Faultwarrens.

"What's that?" Snow wondered.

"It's a very dangerous area rife with very powerful creatures. Fang and I have dared each other to go in but our elder warned us not to. There is a creature called Vercingetorix at the end. The place scares me personally," Vanille explained.

"I wonder if we could beat it with our various talents," Snow wondered.

"I hope we never have to face it. That would be so scary," Vanille said. They both laughed at the thought. Night came and the group decided it would be best if they hung out in the building until morning. Snow and Lightning both paced nervously. They couldn't wait to set out again. Hope managed to calm Lightning down. Just a simple touch snapped her out of it. He led her outside and they sat looking at the stars.

"Are you still ok Claire?" Hope asked with concern. She smiled at him.

"You know, I'm glad I have you to watch out for me Hope," she said sincerely.

"Really?" he said with some excitement.

"Yeah," she said before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He grinned happily.

"What will you do when you find Serah?" he asked curiously.

"Easy, I'm going to take her to a safe place and never let her out of my sight again. Now that I've acquired some respect for Snow, we will be a good Serah watching team," she said confidently. Hope smiled halfheartedly and sighed. Lightning looked at him questioningly and then understood. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If you want, I could leave Serah in Snow's care and take you to see your dad. If you want to stay with him I won't stop you," she said with a pained expression.

"But I want to stay with you Claire. Forever if that's ok with you," he replied hopefully. She looked relieved but guilty.

"I'd love to have you with me Hope but I can't take you from your dad. If he's still out there he's going to want his son home. Sazh has proven that to us," she said sadly.

"Then I'll find a way to let him know I'm in capable hands. I want to stay with you," Hope said. Lightning sighed.

"Ok, but you need to tell him as soon as possible so he knows you're ok. If he's…" she hesitated, unsure if he would be sensitive to the subject.

"It's ok, say it," he encouraged.

"If he's dead, then at least you tried," she finished.

"Thanks Claire. I love you," he whispered as he pulled her close. The warmth of happiness spread through her and she smiled. She couldn't believe how far they've come from the very first time they met. She couldn't admit to her feeling before, especially to him. She wasn't ready for anyone to know, including herself. But now, she felt his love, and wanted him to know she felt the same.

"I love you too Hope," she replied. His smile grew as he leaned against the building and opened his arms to her. She sat next to him and let him hold her. Her own arms wrapped around his waist. He kissed her softly and then relaxed into the embrace. They stayed awake silently waiting for the sun to rise. When it did, they gazed in awe at its beauty.

"Not even a sunrise can beat your beauty Claire," Hope stated.

"Don't be corny Hope," she replied jokingly.

"Well it's true," he said.

"I don't know about that but I do know I have more shadows than the sun can create," she reasoned.

"In darkness there is a glimmer of light, but the closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes," Hope said.

"Ok Mr. Philosopher," she joked. He laughed and playfully hit her arm. She pushed him over.

"Hey, I'm only trying to help Mrs. Pessimistic," he replied.

"Do you think we should head inside?" she wondered.

"Not yet," he replied. She was about to question him but he silenced her with a kiss. She responded to him but wouldn't go far. Already, the shadows started to come back. Her blue eyes were stormy when she pulled away.

"Come on Mr. Temptation. Let's get back to the others," she said as she got up and pulled him to his feet. They entered the building to see everyone up and gathered together.

"There you guys are. Let's head out," Snow said. They all climbed the stairs and came out on the roof. They followed the path and came to a rusted bridge. It stretched over the water and half of it had fallen into the water below.

"Don't tell me we're crossing that," Sazh said worriedly.

"Don't worry. It's easy. Just don't lose your footing and fall miles into the water," Lightning said nonchalantly as she continued forward. No one besides Hope knew if she was kidding or not but they had no choice but to go forward. There was land at the end of the bridge. Sazh and Snow ran to it happily. They had fallen a few times and were scared to death about falling over. Some parts required some precise jumping and narrow walkways. By the time everyone stood on the welcome stretch of land, Sazh had already discovered the airship in the distance.

"How do you think it got here? No one ever came to grand pulse who could pilot these," Vanille said. Sazh exited the airship with a frown.

"Whoever it was and whatever they were trying to accomplish, they're still here," Sazh said gravely.

"Are there dead pilots?" Snow asked. Sazh nodded.

"Mostly bones now," he added.

"Let's get them out and start this thing up. We can use this to get to Cocoon," Fang said as she stepped into the ship. Snow and Sazh followed to help. Once the bodies were removed; Hope, Lightning, and Vanille got in. It took some time for Sazh to get the ship going. It didn't want to start. Hope offered to help him troubleshoot. Together they got it to run.

"Ok guys, strap yourselves in. I'll try not to make this landing hurt," Sazh said. They did as they were told and a minute later, they took off.

"Do you know where Eden is?" Hope asked Sazh.

"Yep, I wasn't a pilot for nothing," he answered. The trip didn't take too long. They saw Eden before they even got close to it. When they were finally flying above the city, Sazh swooped down for a landing. He chose any random open area. The city was in turmoil with beasts running wild through the streets.

"Well, we're finally in Cocoon but I guess this place isn't doing so well either," Fang commented. Sazh landed the ship. A quick plan needed to be put together before heading out.


	19. Chapter 19

They needed to find Serah and Dajh. The best place to start looking would have to be in Edenhall. The higher authorities behind the purge would surely be there.

"Hey isn't that where the Tesseracts are? Then that means…" Hope began. Lightning nodded.

"Orphan's Cradle," she said. Snow looked shocked.

"Orphan is somewhere in there?" he commented.

"Don't you pay any attention to history?" Lightning demanded with a hand on her hip. Snow shook his head.

"That's a serious Fal'Cie. I heard it can turn people into Cie'ths but it can also turn L'Cie like us into powerful Cie'ths," Sazh commented.

"That's it. That's why they are gathering the L'Cie. It isn't to kill them it's to make them into an even powerful army. Orphan is trying to take over," Lightning said.

"Damn, then we should move quickly," Snow said as he strode to the airships door. Lightning followed right behind him and Hope followed right behind her. Sazh glanced at Vanille and Fang who looked troubled.

"You comin' ladies?" he asked. Vanille nodded and Fang looked determined. Sazh headed for the door and the two followed him silently. The other three were already in a fight with a Behemoth. Its mad rampage ran straight into them. After they defeated it, they turned to see Sazh, Vanille, and Fang walking up to them.

"Got in a fight already guys?" Fang asked.

"The monsters here are just as riled about this as we are. If Orphan succeeds, Grand Pulse might be affected too. The creatures can feel it," Lightning replied.

"How do you know?" Vanille asked curiously. Lightning sighed.

"I feel it too. There's a change occurring. My other half isn't too happy and angry that Orphan is changing people," she answered.

"Why would the Wraiths care about what happens to us?" Snow wondered. Lightning turned to him.

"When Orphan changes people, they lose their soul to who knows where. It just disappears. For the Wraiths its food and offspring lost. I have a feeling they will be in on this too," she explained.

"Let's go get Serah and Dajh then," Vanille said hurriedly. The others nodded and Lightning led the way. No one questioned where she took them. At this point, her senses were the best compass they had available. A mix of both creature and machine assaulted them along with a few soldiers. An elevator up ahead spurred them on but a huge machine halted them in their path.

"Is that The Proudclad?" Sazh asked aloud.

"Yes that is correct," a man said as he stepped out from behind the machine.

"Rosch," Lightning said with a glare.

"Hello Farron. Nice meeting you here. I haven't heard from Raines, have you seen him in your travels?" he asked. She growled.

"You know where Serah is, don't you!" she yelled angrily.

"Maybe; maybe not, I have to run Farron but I'm sure an adept soldier like your self can beat The Proudclad. I've got business to attend to," he said as he jumped on a velocycle and took off.

"That bastard knows where she is," Lightning fumed.

"Let's deal with this before we get too distracted ok?" Hope stated. Lightning nodded and they advanced toward The Proudclad. It was easy to inflict damage and dodge the repeated attacks. They were annoying but nothing compared to the Retaliatory Strike. Hope and Vanille had their hands full keeping the team in good shape. Fang handled the damage well and ended the fight with a lunge from her spear. It split through the metal with ease. After The Proudclad fell, Lightning smiled knowingly.

"You took my advice," she said.

"Yeah, I figured you knew your stuff. I might not have done the damage I just did if I hadn't sharpened my spear and utilized its angles to cut through material easier," Fang replied.

"You think about angles when you fight?" Snow said disbelievingly. Lightning gave him an exasperated look.

"Come on you guys!" Sazh called anxiously from the elevator. They ran to catch up. The elevator took them through a part of the street where civilians were hiding. They fought a few Behemoths and climbed a shattered part of the street to the next level. An Adamanchelid lumbered ahead and they jumped the railing to avoid it. When they landed, two soldiers and a Photo-Behemoth attacked without hesitation. Snow and Sazh took care of the soldiers while Lightning and Fang took down the Behemoth. They walked through a door which pulled up and out of their way. Then they ran through an extremely long and empty road and arrived at Siren Park.

"Hold on guys I don't have that much endurance to run that long," Snow complained. They stopped without complaint seeing as Sazh was even further behind than Snow. The sky was beginning to darken but Lightning wanted to keep moving. She was the one too anxious to stop now. When Snow and Sazh finally caught their breath, they entered Siren Park. The Adamantherons and Orobons kept out of Lightning's way. The only problem was the fighting Tyrant and Vernal Harvester towards the end.

They were able to defeat them without injury by severely weakening both and then finishing them off. The next area had a Tyrant standing guard on one side and a Juggernaut at the other. The Juggernaut blocked the path to their goal. They applied the same tactics as before when they fought in the Mah'habara. Behind it were fierce soldiers that even kicked Lightning around. Although once she put away her weapon in favor of shadow claws, they had no chance. Before going on, Hope checked on her. The shadows disappeared just as fast as they appeared.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I've been able to control it ever since we got here. Even when I get frustrated I don't feel lost in its power. I guess it will work with me now that we are working towards the same goal," she remarked thoughtfully.

"Good, that makes it easier on you," Hope said.

"By the way, who is this Rosch guy?" Fang asked.

"Yaag Rosch is an elite officer of PSICOM. He must be working with Orphan unknowingly. I don't think he knows what the Fal'Cie's real plan is," she replied. They talked as they walked and soon came to the Edenhall Grand Foyer. Soldiers paced in the entrance.

"Well they should be easy. Not much to fight besides the soldiers and that Behemoth," Snow said confidently. At that moment, a strange tendril of silvery light sparkled through the air.

"What's going on?" Vanille said worriedly. The soldiers froze and then screamed in pain. One by one, they began to warp into crystalized Cie'th. The group gasped as they witnessed what looked like Orphan transforming soldiers.

"What are they?" Snow wondered.

"Sacrifices, that's what," Sazh answered nervously.

"They shouldn't be any different than a plain old Cie'th right?" Fang asked.

"I don't know but the only way to find out is to try," Lightning said as she unsheathed her blade and cautiously moved forward. The closest Sacrifice turned to them and lazily moved in their direction. Lightning shot a round and only managed to nick its crystalized hide.

"Damn, bullets don't work so well," Lightning observed. Sazh looked worried.

"Try loading yours up with magic," Vanille insisted. Sazh nodded and shot a bullet of fire. The bullet struck the Sacrifice and dug a groove into it as it passed. Sazh felt a little better.

"As always, it seems that magic can make the situation a little less bleak," Hope said. Lightning tried using her blade next and Fang joined her. They both did a little more damage than the non-magic bullet but less than the magic induced one. Snow ran forward with a fist full of ice and Vanille weakened it. She switched to elemental attacks with Hope later on. It took a little time to wear it down. When it did manage an attack, its strength was more than what it looked capable of. It knocked Snow down with one swing. Hope stopped to heal Snow and was vulnerable to the next swing. Lightning managed to block just in time. She raised her blade and stopped it from hitting her. Then she pushed its appendage away and made it stagger. Everyone jumped in at the same time. It fell and hit the floor in a shatter of pieces and chunks.


	20. Chapter 20

They continued to bash through the groups of Sacrifices and defeated the lone Behemoth until they were inside the Edenhall Grand Foyer. Rosch waited for them at the elevator to Edenhall.

"Don't get in my way Rosch. I don't want to kill you. You don't even know what's at stake here," Lightning warned him. He laughed mockingly.

"Oh, you mean your reason of existing? I know about your sister Farron. She's in Edenhall right now, undergoing the change," he taunted. Lightning growled.

"Get out of my way," she snarled. The others only backed up to give her room. Knowing Rosch was only giving himself a one way ticket to hell.

"Or what, I can match your skill with a blade Farron. I'm above you," he stated.

"What you're doing is upsetting the balance. The creatures of Pulse aren't happy if you haven't noticed. What you're doing is wrong. Why are you helping Orphan? You're supposed to help the people," Lightning said, trying to keep herself from losing her temper.

"This **is** for the people. We can serve Orphan and be a better race. Orphan promised me power beyond any creature's capability," he said.

"You want power in exchange for freedom? You won't even be human. You'll be a Cie'th. A mindless slave for Orphan just like your soldiers moments before their death," Lightning scoffed.

"Don't insult Orphan, Farron. I will be the strongest creature to walk this planet," he said angrily as he pointed his blade at her threateningly.

"But right now you aren't. I won't let you get there," Lightning growled as she put away her weapon. He looked at her in confusion but the expression vanished with a shrug and darted towards her. She lightly jumped out of the way and he swung around in the path of her retreat.

"How are you going to win if you won't use your weapon?" he taunted.

"I already have," she said with a smirk as she gestured to her friends. They all ran past now that Rosch had moved and Lightning had him distracted.

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise when he realized what happened.

"Lightning, come on!" Hope shouted.

"No, go on without me. I have business to take care of," she replied. He looked a little worried but did as he was told. He joined his friends in the elevator and it closed.

"Damn you Farron!" Rosch roared in anger as he swiftly swung at her. She dodged every attempt.

"What's the matter Rosch? I thought you could beat me?" she taunted this time. He grinned mischievously and swung once more. She was prepared to jump away but at the last minute he jumped back, flipped his blade into a gun and shot at her, aiming for her heart. She saw the switch and managed to redirect the bullet to her leg by jumping out of the way. She landed on her feet and then fell to her knee from the pain. She sighed in relief Hope wasn't here to revive her had she gotten shot in the heart.

"Can't dodge now can you?" he sneered. She only glared up at him.

"This is exactly how you will look when I rule this city; bowed to me," he stated as he leveled his gun at her. She looked away, snickered, and then started laughing coldly.

"I very much doubt that," she hissed. He backed up involuntarily.

"Farron?" he questioned uncertainly. She looked back at him with her now bright yellow irises.

"You're Corrupted?" he exclaimed. She grinned cruelly, showing off her sharp teeth.

"I warned you not to get in my way Rosch," she said condescendingly. He didn't know what to do besides continue to attack. She stopped the blade without any effort and pulled it from his hands. She threw it at him and he jumped out of the way and landed on the floor instead of his feet. She advanced on him.

"Stupid, inferior, human; you just don't know when to quit," she snarled. By now, her features had no room for any pity or mercy. Shadows under her eyes completed the effect.

"Orphan can make you a goddess of this planet. You can keep your sister safe forever," he persuaded in a last ditch attempt to change her mind. She grabbed him by the neck, picked him up, and slammed him into the wall. Cracks shot out from the impact. The shadows coiled around her arms and slithered halfway down her body. The progression of the shadows finally reached her face. It covered half of the left side of her face and made her canines lengthen.

Her eye turned black where the white should have been and her yellow irises glowed into haunting gold. Small tendrils of darkness threatened to consume the rest of her face. Her heart constricted and she winced but allowed the darkness to settle. She didn't realize she had been holding her breath, so she let it out slowly. She was so cold that her breath was visible in the air. The Wraith part of her could only think of tearing Rosch apart and eating. She bared her teeth and Rosch looked positively frightened.

"Times up; any last words?" she hissed in a close replica of the Wraith that changed her; although her voice still lingered somewhere in the darkened tone. He shook uncontrollably from the cold and fear. He couldn't say anything due to his paralyzing fright.

"I guess not," she shrugged, and with a quick flex of her hand his neck snapped and her claws gouged into his neck. She stopped to savor the smell of the blood before eating him. It didn't take her very long to finish. Her body was going without fresh flesh for some time now. Hope's blood did a good job of keeping her sated though. She did a better job of keeping herself clean this time. She stood and stretched out, feeling the darkness on her skin. She gained some control but the shadows wouldn't go away. She ran her tongue over her canines and sighed.

"Great, I feel better now but I can't change back. It's finally getting the best of me," she said to herself as she walked to the elevator. It opened with a touch to the panel and she entered. When it opened to the next room, she was shocked to see her teammates fighting a group of Sacrifices, Jihl Nabaat stood watching. Lightning's eyes dwelled longer on Serah who was hiding in the corner of the room with her arms around Dajh. Lightning sprinted out of the elevator and angrily busted apart a nearby Sacrifice. Fang had been fighting it and she gasped when she saw Lightning. Her mind began to cloud again as her other half fought for control.

She stumbled but managed to hang on. The last thing they needed was for her to lose herself and fall into bloodlust again. She continued to defeat each and every Sacrifice threatening her friends. When they were all piles of crystal on the floor, she chased down Nabaat who tried to escape. Lightning caught up to her fairly quickly and took her out. When she returned, she stumbled to a stop and sunk to the floor. Dajh ran to Sazh and clung to him. They all kept their distance just in case, except Hope who ran to her. He tried to look her in the eyes but she turned away. He pulled her chin up and she didn't fight. Hope looked a little worried but he offered her a comforting smile.

"Lightning, is that you?" Serah spoke up from the corner. She had gotten up and walked a little bit closer. Lightning jumped to her feet and backed away.

"I don't want to hurt you Serah, as much as I'm so happy to see you," she said. Everyone had already felt the temperature in the room drop and now they all shuddered when she talked. Serah didn't look bothered by it. She walked over to her sister and threw her arms around her.

"I missed you so much Claire," she sobbed into her sister's shoulder. Lightning held her close, only feeling the love she had for her sister.

"I missed you to Serah," she said as her voice faltered. A lone tear slid down her face. Suddenly, the shadows began to retreat slowly. Soon, Lightning stood without a trace of darkness on her.

"I thought I would never see you again," Lightning said after she pulled back to get a good look at Serah. They hugged once more and then Lightning led her to Snow. She placed Serah's hand in his and stepped away. Snow was just as happy to see her.

"Serah," he said with love and awe in his tone. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he said.

"Of course I am. I knew my hero would come for me," she replied. He laughed.

"I had help from a brave and noble knight," he replied, looking at Lightning who was standing next to Hope. She smiled and shook her head disapprovingly. Fang and Vanille watched silently. Meanwhile Sazh and Dajh were having their own moment of reunion.

"We still have to destroy Orphan. We can't let it get what it wants," Snow said. Lightning nodded.

"Orphan plans on ruling everything. I don't know how strong it is but we can't sit and do nothing," she said with determination.

"I think I can help you there," Fang said, stepping forward. Lightning, Hope, Snow, and Serah turned to her.

"Vanille and I are from the past. I know that sounds weird but after completing our previous focus we went into crystal stasis and woke up at this time. The reason we were successful is because I hold the ability to turn into Ragnorak. I believe with my help and your strength we can beat Orphan together," Fang said to Lightning. Lightning listened quietly and then nodded in agreement.


	21. Chapter 21

Lightning was determined to keep her family alive even if it meant she had to give up her own life to achieve it.

"It's best if it's only us two," Lightning stated.

"What?" Hope, Snow, Vanille, and Serah said together.

"You can't Fang," Vanille said with a pout.

"That's suicide," Snow stated.

"Claire, what are you talking about?" Serah asked sadly. Hope only looked at Lightning remorsefully.

"I can't risk your life now that we are all finally together. It's not suicide Snow. We still don't know of a way that can kill me so I should be fine. Fang has made her decision regardless of the risks," Lightning said sternly.

"But Fang, we were lucky last time. What if you don't survive?" Vanille said holding onto Fang's arm like she could keep her there if she just held on.

"I'm doing this for the one I care about too Vanille," she said simply. Vanille looked like she was about to cry. Fang looked close to it too as she pulled Vanille into a hug. When they parted, Fang looked at Lightning. She was ready and determined.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine Serah," Lightning said to her sister.

"Take care of her Snow and don't let her out of your sight," she told him. He nodded.

"Sazh, you might want to go with them," she suggested. The older man nodded and steered his son over so they stood with Snow and Serah.

"You too Vanille," Fang said. Vanille moved to stand by Sazh. Lightning turned to see Hope on the other side of the room. He had separated himself from the group when he heard Lightning was leaving them behind. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her and she saw tear tracks down his face.

"Claire, please don't go. I need you," he said sadly. She brushed off a new tear and held his face in her hands.

"I'll come back. I have you to take care of remember?" she said quietly. He nodded and laid his head on her shoulder as he hugged her. She pulled him close and then let him go.

"I love you," he said with a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you too," she replied. She turned to go but he stopped her. He let go of her arm and untied his bandana.

"Here. Hope it gives you luck. I want you to keep a part of me with you," he said. She took it and tied it around her upper arm. She looked at him once more and her eyes strayed to the scar now slightly visible without the bandana to cover it. She reached out and traced the markings. He held her hand there and closed his eyes then he reluctantly let her go. She smiled reassuringly and then made her way back to Fang who stood waiting. The others had already left while she was with Hope. She turned to look where he was standing but he was gone too. She sighed sadly.

"I thought it was best if you didn't have to say good-byes again so I told them to leave before you got back," Fang said.

"Yeah, it's probably for the best," she replied. They began to walk in the direction of the Tesseracts.

"So, you and the kid huh, what made you finally agree to let him so close?" she questioned.

"He got to me," she replied simply. Fang smiled.

"Your heart isn't as frozen as I thought. You know, ever since day one that kid has stood up for you. He risked his life to keep yours healthy. Nothing short but determination and caring," she said.

"What are you trying to get at?" Lightning asked a little irritated.

"Nothing just realizing that I was majorly wrong about you. I just want to say I'm sorry. I hope you can accept it. I was raised to think that your kind is the most merciless thing in existence next to the thing that created you, but you aren't. I guess along with proving me wrong you taught me a valuable lesson. Thank you," Fang said.

"You're welcome. Thanks for keeping me in line," Lightning replied. They shared an appreciative smile before entering Orphan's Cradle.

"Whoa, this place is weird. How do we find Orphan?" Fang wondered.

"We pick a path and keep going," Lightning answered, moving forward again. They walked until a fork in the road appeared. Three different paths lay ahead.

"Look, that one leads back to Pulse," Fang said, pointing to a warp gate at the end of one.

"Yeah, and that one leads back to the Edenhall Foyer," Lightning said, pointing to the other warp gate.

"So that means that last path leads to Orphan," Fang reasoned.

"Hopefully," Lightning answered, touching the bandana on her arm as they continued. The path to Orphan was filled with every type of Cie'th as well as Aquila Velocycles, Megrim Threshers, Dragonites, and Sanctum Templars. Navigating the paths and fighting off relentless Cie'ths continued for what seemed like forever. The only break in the swarms occurred when they reached a warp gate and found themselves in a room with a Jabberwocky and Bandersnatch. Both Fang and Lightning took direct hits from these foes. Lightning put herself in the way of an attack meant for Fang many times to avoid severe injury on Fangs behalf. They no longer had a healer to help them. When they won the fight, Lightning staggered to a stop and sat down. She was exhausted and Fangs' injury wasn't helping things.

"Shit those claws hurt. I've never been hurt this bad and have to deal with it. I'm getting lazy dealing with the pain factor," Fang said as she too sat down.

"Yeah well try telling my ego I almost didn't get through that fight," Lightning replied.

"Why can't you just let the shadows have you and fight through all this unscathed?" Fang suggested.

"I can't. I need to save that for later. We can't afford for me to run wild when we haven't even reached Orphan. No, don't be stupid. If I'm at least in front of Orphan when that happens I won't have to worry about anything except making sure Orphan is defeated," Lightning explained.

"What if you get too beat up before we get there? Then what are you going to do when instinct takes over?" Fang questioned honestly.

"We'll deal with it when it happens," Lightning responded. She pushed herself to her feet and swayed a little.

"You ok? I think you should let me handle myself so we don't lose you early," Fang advised, steadying Lightning with a hand on her shoulder. Lightning nodded and they left the room through the warp gate. An Immortal guarded the path ahead but with quick reflexes both Fang and Lightning managed to get by without a fight. Both of them were still tired. Strangely as they continued, there was no more Cie'ths around. The atmosphere became quiet when they entered another warp gate.

"I don't like this feeling at all," Lightning said nervously. Suddenly a flash of blades swept past. Lightning jumped out of the way and Fang barely avoided the abrupt attack. They searched their surroundings for the attacker. A Wladislaus shifted into view wielding wicked long blades.

"A stronger Cie'th," Fang said as she pulled out her spear.

"It's quick too," Lightning added. The Wladislaus readied its weapon and jumped forward. Lightning blocked. The next attack came at Fang who rolled out of the way. Lightning swung as hard as she could and slashed it across the back. It screeched and spun, sword out and deadly close to Lightning but she dodged again. They settled into a distract-and-attack routine. This way the Wladislaus couldn't blur from sight and catch them unaware. They kept the Cie'th on its toes until it staggered. Then together they rushed forward for the kill. They exited the room through the warp gate, followed more paths and ended up in yet another warp gate.

"I wonder what's going to happen this time. I'm beginning to hate these rooms," Fang said cautiously.

"At least we get a heads up," Lightning replied. A blue mass flew into the room as the words left her mouth. It stopped in front of them and landed. It was a Tiamat Eliminator.

"Oh great, here we go again," Fang said sarcastically, but Lightning could hear the fatigue under it. She was beginning to feel at a loss for energy too and was getting slightly hungry. She cursed Rosch for not helping her out in that category but deep down she knew it wasn't just something to eat that she needed. She needed Hope.


	22. Chapter 22

The Tiamat Eliminator was of no real consequence. Fang kept it busy when it landed and Lightning did the same when it took to the sky. The fight was long but uneventful and was over with nothing more than a few bruises. They went through the warp gate and into a pure white, shiny hallway.

"This is a big change of scenery," Fang commented while she looked around. Lightning was busy shading her sensitive eyes from the glare of lights in the pure white room. Fang looked back at Lightning and chuckled.

"Do you need to find a dark place to crawl into? You look like you're trying to hide," Fang pointed out. Lightning glared.

"No, I'll be fine. I just need time to adjust," she replied.

"Do you think Orphan is up ahead? Did we make it?" Fang wondered aloud. Lightning slowly put down her hand and squinted ahead.

"Yeah, it's there alright. I can feel it," she said with a small growl.

"Not yet Light," Fang warned. Lightning looked at her with surprise.

"Can I call you that?" she said uncertainly. Lightning nodded.

"Fang, if we really don't get out of here, I'm glad to have met you," she said.

"Me too soldier," Fang replied. They walked through the hall and came out at the top of a ramp in a dimly lit room. They descended down the ramp and stopped when the ground leveled out. Lightning started to feel edgy. The darker side of her felt trapped like an animal. The strange magic coursing through the air unsettled her.

"_So you have come, Corrupted One. I have been waiting for you,"_ a warped voice addressed them.

"Waiting for me? Who are you," Lightning asked calmly.

"_I am Orphan and you are my creation," _it answered.

"You're what?" Fang said in confusion.

"_Silence vessel of Ragnarok,"_ Orphan demanded. A burst of concentrated light threw Fang back. Lightning flinched. The light actually hurt her. She guessed it must have been holy based.

"_I have created the Wraiths to hunt down humans and turn them into their own but they refuse to serve me. They believe__** I**__ am detrimental to their kind. Halflings like you serve better purposes. You retain your human personalities which make you prone to weak human emotions. Perfect creatures to rule over if I peak their interest," _Orphan continued.

"I refuse to follow you," Lightning snarled defiantly as she took a few steps into the middle of the room. Orphan laughed.

"_You have no choice. You either follow or you are destroyed,"_ Orphan replied.

"I'm not adding to your little army of demons and Cie'ths Orphan. I'm here to destroy you," she stated.

"_You seem confident in your actions. Perhaps it is because you found a Light Stabilizer?" _Orphan responded.

"A what?" she said.

"_One whose soul is light dominated. With their help you will stay stable. You have found one haven't you?" _Orphan guessed.

"Hope?" Lightning wondered.

"_No matter, the Light Stabilizer is not present and cannot save you now,"_ Orphan stated. At that moment, a bright light flashed through the room. Lightning shielded her eyes and a mass of gold ascended from the pool of liquid in the center of the room against the wall. It was circular in shape with a woman's face in the middle. Engravings of other faces surrounded it in the ring around it. Fang pushed herself to her feet.

"I think I actually feel better after that," Fang said.

"It was a holy attack meant for me disguised as one for you. It hurt like hell. I think it was trying to make me surrender," Lightning said trying to feel for a change in power.

"Well it worked to my advantage," Fang said, stretching.

"Don't celebrate just yet. It's doing something," Lightning replied.

"_Very perceptive Corrupted one. I am calling your kind to destroy you. You are a rogue,"_ Orphan stated. Lightning only growled in response and Fang drew her weapon.

"I'm right behind you Light," she stated. Shadows appeared in the corners of the room. Figures stepped out in each corner. They walked closer until they stood surrounding Lightning and Fang. They all grimaced and a low hiss could be heard. Lightning smirked.

"That's it? Can they even shift into their demonic side?" she sneered. Only two growled and shifted all the way. Lightning refused to look shocked but Fang reacted. The two that could change had a body of shadow with fangs, sharp teeth, and yellow eyes with black instead of white, horns, claws, wings, and a tail. Lightning's hands clenched into fists.

"What's a matter? Can't change?" a guy close to her taunted. There were three men and a woman. Two of the men could change.

"She probably can't change and was just bluffing," the woman said. One of the men advanced on Fang. She backed away and bumped into Lightning.

"Don't touch her," Lightning snarled.

"Oh you mean like this?" one of the changed guys taunted. He jumped forward, intent on getting to Fang. However, a shadow claw stopped him halfway. It wrapped around his neck and he was face to face with Lightning. She couldn't quite change all the way so she still had half the darkness. The guy laughed in her face.

"That's all you can do? You'll be easy to finish," he mocked with another laugh.

"Don't start talking until you win," Lightning seethed. He grabbed her arm and pulled out of her grip. He swung her into the floor but at the last minute she pushed off the floor and tossed him over her shoulder. He landed swiftly and looked at her in surprise. Fang swung out and impaled the woman close to her. She heaved her into the floor and then threw her as best she could across the room.

The other guy jumped at Lightning and the other changed guy launched at Fang. Lightning tackled her opponent to the ground and they both tried to bite, scratch, and punch each other. Fang dodged the attack but was grabbed in a strangle hold from behind by the guy Lightning tossed aside. He tried to bite her but Lightning got there in time. She pulled out her gunblade and swung at his legs. He screamed in pain and his legs collapsed.

She managed to cut through his leg and deep enough into the bone to make them snap. Fang wasted no time and ran out of the way of his still accessible arms. The shadows began to fade from his body. An idea occurred to Lightning. Just like the Wraith that changed her she might be able to steal the darkness within them. Doing that before made the darkness in herself grow, but it was a risk she had to take. She grabbed the guy by his collar and hauled him off the floor.

She bared her teeth and bit into his neck. Her instincts kicked in and so did the hunger. She obtained both blood and his darkness with that one bite. When she drained him of both, she dropped him. His body burst into dust when it hit the floor. She shuddered as the numbing pain wracked her body just as before. Her heart constricted and she fell to her knees. When the pain passed, she could feel the shadows slide further across her body. She got back up to see the three remaining Halflings frozen in fear. They had not known they could do that.

"_Get her before she destroys you too. Concentrate on her!" _Orphan commanded. The three remaining Halflings converged on Lightning. Fang looked around and her eyes landed on Orphan. She smirked and jumped with her spear raised. It hit Orphan with a deafening clang and bent the ring. The spear lodged in the rotating ring with Fang hanging on. Orphan roared in rage. The three Halflings looked over to see what happened and Lightning tackled the remaining changed one. He cried out in shock as they tumbled to the floor. His tail flicked out from under him and whipped her in the face. A dark burn stung her cheek on the side that had not been affected by the change. She dug her claws into his neck and twisted, effectively breaking his neck.

She bent over to sink her teeth into him but the girl kicked out at her and knocked her off. Lightning pulled out her gunblade and threw it at the girl so hard it pinned her to the wall behind her. She squirmed as she tried to dislodge herself from the wall. Lightning bit into the guy's throat and tore. Careening into a state of blood lust; when she was done he too turned to dust. Fang was now pulling on her spear, trying to tear apart Orphan. A highly concentrated beam of light shot at Fangs' hands and burned them severely. She yelped and let go. She fell with a splash into the shimmering liquid below. She didn't come back out. Lightning wanted to jump in after her but her mind couldn't think rationally any more. She held her head and growled in frustration.

"_Yes, let go of control. Let it take over you," _Orphan encouraged. Lightning cried out as the last guy left slashed across her back. She turned and impaled him through the heart with her claw. She slowly spread her hand apart, enjoying the horror on his face and the way he tried to fight her futilely. She pulled him closer and ripped out his throat; then drained him like the others.


	23. Chapter 23

She panted as the darkness stole over her body all the way. A tail appeared and wings grew from her back. She stretched them out while horns grew from her head. Her breath puffed out in cold little clouds when she panted. A deadly growl rumbled through her and she turned to face the girl still pinned to the wall. She cowered in terror. Fear burned in her eyes. Lightning grinned hungrily and her fangs gleamed. She sauntered up to the girl and ran a clawed finger down her cheek. She looked down and pulled the gunblade out with ease. Then Lightning placed the blade against the woman's neck. The woman pleaded but Lightning still slit her throat. She leaned forward and drained her like all the others. She licked the blood off her claws and faced Orphan.

"_You can't defeat me Shadow Wraith. I have control over you,"_ Orphan threatened. Lightning snarled and lifted off the ground. She shot like a bullet at Orphan with her claws raised and her teeth bared. Orphan laughed and a flash of light blinded her. She covered her eyes in pain and then Orphan shot a beam of light straight at her. It seared her skin and she fell into the ground. At that moment, the liquid began to boil. Lightning raised her head and saw a beast's claw grip the edge of the pool. She stared as a huge creature pulled itself out.

"_You can control darkness with pain and torment but you can't stop Ragnarok," _Lightning hissed coldly. Ragnarok roared and grabbed a hold of Orphan. It pulled and tore until the rings gave in. Fang's spear fell out and Lightning flew forward to catch it. She stuck it in the holster with her blade. Once Orphan was finally torn apart with a scream of agony the whole place began to shake and crumble. Orphan sunk into the pool beneath, upsetting the liquid and sending it all over the floor. Almost immediately, crystals formed, breaking through the foundation and quickly spreading. Lightning flew towards Ragnarok and threw a punch. It roared in anger and tried to catch her. She flew back the way they came and lured Ragnarok out of the room. She stopped at the warp gate and cursed. Ragnarok solved the problem by jumping at her, missing when she dodged and it crashed through the wall.

She flew past and continued to lead the way all the way back outside. Ragnarok crashed out of Edenhall and roared in frustration. Anything living ran from its path of destruction. Eden itself was shutting down. The streets cracked and then began to crystalize. Lightning spotted something that made her heart stop. She was aware of her demonic state still in affect but her mind wasn't clouded anymore. Hope and the others were running toward a small airship. She wondered why they haven't gotten out of here yet. She dived down and landed in front of them. Snow yelled a war cry and hauled back to throw a punch. She stopped his fist and threw him on the ground. She made eye contact with Hope. His mouth fell open in shock but he recognized her.

"Lightning, you're ok!" he shouted and ran forward. She held out a hand and backed up.

"_Please get out of here. Fang is on a rampage," _Lightning warned them. Sazh came out of the airship and nearly jumped a mile. He drew his gun and fired. She deflected the bullets and glared at Sazh. He realized who it was and looked relieved.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack. The airship isn't working. It's a no go," Sazh said. Ragnarok knocked over a nearby building and jumped at a fleeing Behemoth.

"_Get in the airship and strap yourself in," _she commanded as she picked Snow off theground and pushed him in the direction of the airship. They all boarded and Lightning dug her claws under the ship. She heaved with all her strength and picked the airship off the ground. She slowly made her way to the center and pushed off the ground. It took a long time to get it going but she managed to fly a little faster. She headed for the perimeter and threw the ship as hard as she could. It's engine's kick started and it took off. Ragnarok found Lightning again and dashed after her. Lightning followed the ship with Ragnarok tailing her. They all descended over the edge. She watched as the ship landed safely before she flew back and slowed down Ragnarok's descent. It worked but they were still falling. Ragnarok grabbed Lightning before they impacted with the earth.

The force dispersed with a rumble. The others came running across the Steppe to their location. By then, Fang was back to normal. She was unconscious but clutching Lightning who grunted as she pulled herself out of Fang's grip and out of the crater they created. She was still in her demonic form but she could feel it fading from weakness. She saw Hope running to her and calling her name. She tried to take a step but fell forward in a faint. Hope reached her and pulled her onto his lap. The shadows just barely disappeared completely by the time everyone else arrived. Vanille threw herself next to Fang with tears in her eyes and used every ounce of magic she had left to revive her. Hope didn't worry too much and had faith that Lightning was unconscious out of fatigue. Snow and Serah crouched next to him. Sazh stood with Dajh and watched uncertainly.

"What do we do? We're in the middle of the Archyte Steppe," Hope said. Serah put a hand on Lightning's cheek and she opened her eyes.

"Serah?" she croaked.

"I'm here Claire," she said.

"Good," she replied. She closed her eyes and fell unconscious again.

"Let's head to the Vallis Media. It's close and a safe place to camp out until they get better," Snow said. Hope nodded and Snow lifted Lightning up. Vanille was done healing Fang by now. Fang came around and stared around bleary eyed. She looked utterly confused and her robes were torn.

"Hey, where's my spear?" she wondered. Vanille laughed in relief and hugged her.

"Who cares? You made it Fang! You made it!" Vanille exclaimed. Fang chuckled and climbed to her feet with some difficulty. Her eyes landed on Lightning and concern flitted over her features briefly.

"Will she be alright?" Fang asked.

"Yeah, she's just tired," Hope answered. As a group, they all trudged to the Vallis Media. Because of the large scale disruption, all the creatures had either fled or ended up in Eden so there was no problem getting there. They entered the little campsite and collapsed. The weight of their travels finally chipped away and they fell into a deep, restoring sleep.

Lightning woke to the sun again which seemed to be even more annoying this time around. She stared at the sky and spotted a crystalized Cocoon, held up by a pillar of crystal that curved up to surround it. Everything came rushing back to her. The darkness finally took over. She had no idea what the consequences of that will be but she had to accept whatever they were. She sighed and realized that Hope held her against him protectively even in sleep. His arms were around her waist.

She scanned the campsite carefully so she didn't wake up Hope with her movements. Fang and Vanille lay back to back while Sazh lay on his back with Dajh using his stomach like a pillow. Serah and Snow slept in the same way her and Hope slept. She rubbed his hand with her thumb and felt joy course through her. Hope tightened his grip and pulled her closer.

She heard him mumble her name. She smiled and rolled over to face him. It was a little difficult because his hold was tight. She stared into his open and angelic face and basked in the love she felt. Her other side saw Hope and thought satisfaction. He was hers and it wanted his blood now. Instead, she ignored the urge and kissed his forehead. He opened his eyes and gazed at her. She stayed absolutely still. He raised a hand and ran it down the side of her face and stopped.

"Your eyes," he whispered.

"What about them?" she answered.

"They're still gold," he replied. Lightning frowned.

"A constant reminder of what I am. Hopefully they aren't stuck like that," she responded dejectedly.

"Don't forget I still love you Claire," he reminded her. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"Do you mind if we spent some time out by the waterfall?" she offered.

"Ok, let's go," he replied. They got up, stretched, and left. The waterfall remained exactly how they left it; including the hole Alexander made in the rock wall. He sat down on a rock and Lightning sat behind him, putting her feet around him.

"Relax," she told him soothingly. She nuzzled his neck and her mouth watered. She missed Hope in so many ways. Hope figured out what she wanted and stayed utterly calm. He barely moved except when taking Lightning's hand. She bit into his shoulder and groaned in pleasure. She wasn't surprised when he moaned. She couldn't seem to get enough of him but knew that she had to let him go at some point. She stayed a little longer than she would have but when she finished she removed herself from him completely so she wasn't tempted again. Hope sat dazed on the rock and took deep breaths.

"Maybe you should go back to camp Hope. I'll be there in a minute," Lightning told him. She felt better but she wanted more. She knew it had to do with the growing darkness but she wouldn't give it the satisfaction of having Hope. He nodded and reluctantly slid off the rock. He left sluggishly and Lightning watched him go, running her hand over his bandana still tied to her arm. Hope reached camp and saw that only Serah was awake so he sat down heavily next to her. If he couldn't be next to Lightning he wanted to be near Serah. After all, they were sisters and Hope felt familiarly comfortable with Serah. She turned to look at him with concern.

"You look horrible. Did Claire loose her temper again? I swear, I told her she needed to treat people better, but she doesn't listen," she commented. Hope put up a hand and shook his head.

"No, that's not it," Hope said quietly. He was running a little low on energy.

"Does it have to do with what she looked like in Eden?" Serah guessed. Hope hesitated before he nodded.

"Tell me about it, please?" she pleaded. She **is** her sister. What harm can it bring? He recounted the events up until he met Lightning and then continued telling her the beginning of their journey together.


	24. Chapter 24

Lightning went back to camp after she gained enough control. When she arrived, Fang had already caught something and everyone was eating. She walked silently to Serah and sat next to her on the side between Hope and her. She didn't feel like Snow talking to her and spitting food on her at the same time. Hope brightened when he saw her, noticing her eyes were back to their normal icy blue. Serah offered her a smile. Lightning returned their smiles but hers was smaller.

"Glad you finally joined us," Sazh said. He looked a lot happier now that he had his son.

"Dad is that our hero?" Dajh asked, pulling on his dad's jacket.

"Hey!" both Snow and Fang shouted at the same time.

"I'm the only one who gets that title," Snow said.

"I was there unlike you," Fang added, frowning at Snow.

"Calm down guys. We all had something to contribute," Hope amended.

"Yep, we just did so in our own way," Vanille said.

"So what now, I mean, we can't just go home," Snow asked the group. They sat thinking for some time before Lightning answered.

"Who knows how many people managed to get off Eden? The only place to go would be down here right? I think we should round up anyone we can find and re-inhabit Oerba. What do you think Fang?" Lightning said, looking at her and waiting. Everyone was caught by surprise but not any more than Fang was.

"You mean live in Oerba?" she stuttered out.

"Yeah and with the group of people we are sure to find it will be populated in no time. Sure people are going to have to get used to this way of life but they will in time. You can be our leader and teach us what we need to know. You can help Fang, Vanille," Hope jumped in.

"Hey that sounds like a pretty good idea. I can fight monsters all I want," Snow said, pumping his fists. Serah looked at him and laughed.

"You know, I don't mind that at all," Sazh said thoughtfully.

"Ok, I accept, only if you are my adviser Lightning. If anything goes wrong I want your advice and skill if we ever have to fight," Fang proposed. It was Lightning's turn to be taken by surprise.

"I will Fang," she replied. The talk soon shifted into plans of how their community would work. Each one of them could start a sort of business based on their skill. Serah could easily work with Hope in the medical department. Snow and Lightning in the field of battle. Sazh can work with anything mechanical along with teaching his son the ropes. Fang will lead along with Vanille and adopt their old way of life. Of course, more technology than before may be in use but the group agreed not to let it turn into a giant city. It would stay simple and peaceful. Whoever they manage to find will be given a chance to stay if they want or leave to find another city.

It will be hard trekking across unknown lands to get to the far off cities but if that is their wish they couldn't stop them. With that in mind, they all set out to scout the Steppe. Vanille and Fang would go East, Serah and Snow would go South, Sazh and Dajh would go west, and Lightning and Hope would go north. They agreed to search until the sun began to set and then they would all meet back at the Vallis Media. Before they set out, Lightning called to Fang. She turned and caught her spear that Lightning tossed to her. Fang grinned and saluted her. Lightning returned the gesture and they all split. Lightning walked with her gunblade over her shoulder just in case the monsters decided to come back.

"Hey Claire, do you think we will find anyone?" Hope wondered.

"I think we already have," she replied, pointing ahead to two figures slumped against a rock. Lightning jogged forward and Hope followed. They stopped in front of two teenage guys around Hope's age. One had black hair and the other was blond. Lightning crouched down and checked for a pulse. They were alive. Lightning looked at Hope who nodded and sent out a cure. The teens groaned and slowly opened their eyes.

"Where am I?" the black haired teen said. The blond was too busy looking around to say anything.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Hope asked. He looked at Hope and answered.

"It's a little hard to remember but I know the city was falling apart. My buddy and I were hanging out when it happened. We took shelter in an airship that was about to take off. It crash landed somewhere around here and we got off to run for our lives. You see, we were a little on the panicked side," he said with a blush.

"I'm not ashamed to say I was scared. We could have died. And did you see that enormous creature tearing more things apart?" the blond said.

"Calm down, what are your names?" Lightning asked. She got both their attentions and they seem to have really noticed her for the first time. Their eyes widened. Lightning didn't notice but Hope did and he frowned.

"My name's Victor," the black haired teen said.

"I'm Thomas, nice to meet you," he said as he took her hand. She grimaced, finally catching on and yanked her hand out of his. She stood and glared down at him.

"Ok Thomas, touch me again and you will wish you didn't meet me," she threatened. He turned as white as a sheet and Hope covered a laugh with a fake cough. Victor jumped to his feet and bowed clumsily.

"Nice to meet you; can you kindly help us?" he asked. Thomas stood up and looked at his friend like he was being ridiculous.

"That's why we're here," Lightning responded, turning around and heading back the way they came. Hope followed and the teens tagged along.

"So did you fall from Eden too?" Thomas asked Lightning.

"Yes," she answered.

"Oh, ok so we're all on the same boat here," Victor said.

"The difference being that we know our way around Pulse," Hope corrected.

"You've been here before? I know you look like a soldier but for all I know that could be a disguise. Do you even belong in a fight? You should be taken care of and this squirt can't do that," Thomas said. Lightning stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him. Victor clearly wasn't a talker and he stepped back. Thomas looked a little older for his age and was confidently sure he would be able to sweet talk her. Hope did not like the way things were going and intended to make Thomas apologize. He stepped forward, ready to fight, but Lightning grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Listen, I warned you before and I meant it. I'm not some girl on the streets to toy with and yes I am a soldier. If you don't stop, I'll be forced to make you," she said through clenched teeth. Her irritation was plain now.

"Not only am I not your type, I'm not even of your species, so if you please, stop trying to flirt with me," she demanded. Instead of backing down Thomas looked like Christmas came early.

"Really? Let me guess, you're a Mithra right? I always wanted to meet one of those. You're probably trying to hide a tail and ears under all that armor," he said. Hope sighed in irritation. Lightning finally let loose a growl and both boys backed up. She turned to glare at them with electrifying yellow eyes.

"I'm far worse than any creature you've seen," she warned. Thomas shut up after that. Hope was sure he just got a dose of the cold and lost feeling that only a Wraith can give you. They reached the campsite with silence the whole way. The others were there already. Having to stop and threaten the teens made them late. Sazh and Dajh found a small family of three; a mother, father, and daughter. They came to Eden to visit their relatives and were emotionally crushed when they couldn't find them when disaster struck. Serah and Snow found a couple who were engaged and had gone to Eden to get married. They got along well and talked the whole way back. Fang and Vanille brought back a woman who happened to be Victor's mother. She ran to Victor and they hugged.

"We found another man who was an ex-Corps member but the bitter fool said he would survive on his own so we left him," Fang said to Lightning. She shrugged.

"At least you didn't have to deal with a flirty kid," Lightning told her. Fang laughed and Lightning's frown deepened. They gathered everyone together and tried to explain the situation. The people who didn't live in Eden were not capable of a journey home and agreed to stay, even if for a little while. They said they might leave once they learned to survive the trek home. They all settled in for the night and ate before heading to bed. Lightning stayed up to guard. Once everyone was asleep, Hope got up and walked over to Lightning.

"I woke up Fang," he told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you need a break; you've done so much already Claire, and I wanted to spend some time with you before we have to rebuild Oerba," he said, taking her hands in his and looking at his feet. Lightning smiled when she saw the light blush covering his cheeks.

"Ok, where to?" she asked. He looked at her in disbelief that he actually got her to come and then pulled her towards the path leading to the waterfall.


	25. Chapter 25

Hope climbed the rocks that led behind the waterfall and sat down on the cool grass behind it. Lightning followed without questioning his choice of a spot. She stopped next to him and looked around.

"It's so calm back here," she said.

"Yeah, I sat back here after you left," he replied. She looked down at him with soft eyes and then sat in front of him with her back facing the water.

"Are you ok Hope?" she asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes. It grew a little since they met and barely brushed over his eyes. He nodded and smiled.

"Most people would call you a demon bent on killing and taking yet you love like any other person. I'm really glad I met you Claire. You've changed the way I thought about a lot of things and taught me truths I don't think I would have found out on my own. I guess I just wanted to say that to you and let you know how grateful I am," he said shyly.

"You've taught me things too Hope. Things I thought I already knew but I guess I needed a reminder," she said. He smiled and then reached out to touch the bandana tied around her arm.

"You still have it," he said happily.

"Of course," she replied. His hand traveled to her face and he leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers.

"I love you," he stated.

"I love you too," she replied. He kissed her once and then pulled away. She whined when he stopped and he laughed.

"You are teasing something that should not be messed with. It's not only me here," she reminded him.

"I know," he replied mischievously. She growled and tackled him to the ground. She licked his cheek and he laughed.

"Trying to get me back for when I did that to you?" he asked with a smirk.

"What if I'm just sampling you?" she shot back playfully.

"No, you're the eat-first-worry-about-taste-later kind of animal," he said. She smiled and picked him off the ground. His smile slid off his face and she smirked at him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked. She ignored him as she carried him to the edge of the water.

"Oh no, Claire please. It's probably freezing in there," he pleaded.

"I don't think you have a problem with cold," she said before she tossed him through the waterfall and he landed with a splash in the water. She dived in after him, cutting through the water. He burst from the surface gasping for air. He looked around for her and was suddenly pulled underwater. He flailed to the surface to see Lightning laughing at him.

"N-n-none of that was f-f-f-funny," he stuttered as his teeth chattered. She swam to him effortlessly and pulled him to her.

"Come on, let's get you dried off," she said. She towed him to shore and dragged him out. He stood sopping wet and agitated.

"That's what you get when you mess with the playful side of darkness. I guess I just have morbid humor," she told him. He was still frowning. She busied herself with wringing out her hair and cloths and he used fire and wind magic to dry himself off. Now that their focus was done, no one knew exactly why their powers lingered but Hope wasn't going to complain. He offered to use the magic on her and in minutes they were both sitting behind the waterfall again, dry and comfortable.

"You know, the night really isn't that cold after feeling something way colder. Now it seems a little warm out," Hope said as he leaned back on his arms. Lightning nodded absentmindedly.

"We're taking the survivors out to Oerba tomorrow aren't we?" Hope asked.

"Yes," Lightning replied.

"Then I'm glad we got to spend some time together even if I got dumped in freezing cold water," Hope said. She leaned against him and sighed.

"Cold water bugs you but I don't?" she wondered aloud.

"You're different though. Your skin is a little colder than average and some may argue that your heart is ice, but I can feel the warmth in you," he explained.

"It's probably because you can sense your own light I took from you," she reasoned. He shook his head.

"No, it's because I'm the only one who can sense just how much you can love," he corrected. She gazed into his eyes and he stared back. Ever so slightly she pushed aside his collar and inspected the scar.

"I'm still unsure if hurting you is love," she argued. He reached forward and put a hand on the zipper of her turtle neck. He kept her eye contact as he zipped it down just enough to see an identical scar on her shoulder. He rubbed a hand over it and sighed. They sat that way with their hands over each other's scars. The mood turned serious. Hope felt the change and looked for a way to undo it.

"What can I say? The bad part of you likes my body and the good side of you likes my heart," he chuckled. She laughed and pushed his shoulder. He grinned, happy to pull her out of the darkness once more. He removed his hand and zipped up her turtle neck. She started to remove her hand but he gripped it before she pulled away. He tugged gently and she allowed him to pull her so that she lay on top of him. She stayed motionless listening to the sound of his heart beat and held him close.

"I'll always be there for you Claire; through thick and thin," he said suddenly. She lifted her head to look at him.

"Yeah, and I'll be busy watching out for you kid," she replied, trying her best to mimic the way she talked to him for what seemed like a long time ago. He laughed and before long she joined him.

"You know, you've changed," he said after their laughter settled down.

"How so?" she asked uncertainly.

"Not in a bad way. You've loosened up despite what you went through," he said.

"I had help," she replied.

"But it still made you who you are today," he countered.

"I'm still a danger to all of us Hope. Don't forget that," she cautioned.

"I know that, but you're still a good person," he said.

"Person?" she said thoughtfully. He sighed in frustration.

"Lightning look at me," he commanded sternly. She looked at him out of shock. She never heard him use that tone of voice before. He gazed into her eyes intensely and for once she was struck speechless by him. The darkness roiled and came to life. She could sense the desire and passion roll off of Hope and trigger the dormant animalistic side of her. He rolled them over so he was on top and bent down to growl into her ear.

She responded with a deep growl of lust. Her breathing picked up and her body cooled slightly. He smirked and her eyes flashed gold. He kissed her jaw and worked down until he came to her turtleneck. He unzipped it and continued to her shoulder where he nipped at her softly. She pressed into him and almost bit back when he bit her shoulder. He pulled back and kissed her passionately; she responded strongly, her desire waiting to be released.

"Let it go," he mumbled against her lips. He felt her resist the temptation but he could tell it was wearing her down. The shadows snaked across her skin in intricate patterns and strangely curled onto him in a loving embrace wherever he touched her. He watched a particular tendril caress his hand where he had placed it on her cheek.

"I can't let it claim you Hope. I can't let it take your light," she panted.

"Don't worry it won't," he said soothingly. His face was mere inches from hers. He teased her with his tongue, gently sliding it across her bottom lip. She whimpered and pulled him into a deep kiss. She explored his mouth roughly and when he responded with just as much strength he felt her teeth sharpen. Her hands gripped his arms tightly and then relaxed when he slit his tongue on her teeth. Her tongue immediately cleaned his mouth of all the blood and she moaned. She pushed away from him and shook her head.

"Hope we need to stop," she warned. He heard a hint of fear tinge her voice under all the desire. At this point, he was just as lost in the moment as she was. Her eyes glowed but Hope wouldn't take no for an answer. His hands ran down her sides, came back up, and slid softly under her uniform. They didn't stray too far up without permission but just enough to feel her smooth skin against his hand. Her breathing hitched as he caressed her. She reached out suddenly and removed his hands. He looked disappointed but she moved to his jacket and pulled it off, almost ripping it in the process. She threw it aside and pushed him on his back. She straddled his waist and smoothed her hands across his chest. He watched the shadows take over her and the mysterious beauty of her demonic side arose.


	26. Chapter 26

Her small but deadly claw softly dragged down his chest and stopped at his heart.

"_Your light," _she hissed in a tone dripping with hunger.

"Take it," he answered breathlessly. Her claw dug slightly into his skin and a dizzying tug almost knocked him unconscious. He felt like his very soul was being pulled from him. He felt the tug once more before his body seared in pain and then went numb for a couple seconds. The tips of her wings glowed before turning pure white. The same happened to the tip of her tail and claws. She sighed in content before pressing her claw in deeper. She reached his heart and a gut-wrenching pain made it skip a beat twice before dark flames burned his skin. She pulled out her claw and pushed up his shirt. Five marks in the shape of the tips of her claw, marked in pitch black shadows, made a circle around his heart.

A piece of his soul had been torn out and refilled with a piece of her tainted Wraith soul and she received the small amount of light. He passed out after the transition. She pulled down his shirt and reveled in the calm peace that one glimmer of light gave her. She felt her connection with Hope intensify. She no longer felt the irrational instinct to claim him now that the Wraith side of her was content with a piece of him. His eyes fluttered as he started to regain consciousness. She lifted off him and hovered in the air before landing and crouching next to him. When he finally opened his eyes he stared into her glowing gold eyes.

"You finally took it didn't you?" he asked in a strained voice. She tilted her head in concern.

"_You belong to me now, but I didn't need your whole soul to complete the process. You would not be my Hope if I did that," _she replied, her warped voice hinted at possessiveness. He smiled weakly and she hesitantly reached out to softly brush his hair away from his eyes. He caught her claw before she could pull away and held it in his hand. He ran his fingers over the smooth yet rock hard surface and marveled at the texture.

"If I'm yours than is it safe to call you mine?" he asked. A wicked smirk appeared on her face.

"_I am yours forever and you belong to me just as long. We are tied together by sharing our souls with one another. I will always be by your side," _she stated loyally.

"I didn't think I would ever see the day when I actually fall for someone and they fall for me let alone tempting and becoming the soul mate of a Shadow Demon who's showed more devotion than half the humans I've met," he said with a small laugh. She curled up next to him like a cat and rested her head on his chest; one wing draped over his body. She listened to his heart beat at exactly the same time as hers. She sensed that he was at peace and she allowed her protective instinct to fade. The darkness began to recede. They lay together behind the waterfall and eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

When morning came, the sun didn't shine in their eyes because of their location. Lightning's sensitivity to the brighter landscape woke her up though. She sat up and stretched out. Hope felt that she was awake and groggily got up too, pulling into a huge stretch to relax his stiff body. They both looked worn out despite their long sleep. Deep down, they still ached from the exchange but felt so much better than before. Hope stood and rubbed his chest. Lightning got to her feet and place a hand over his. Her eyes asked if he was alright but he knew she was feeling guilty over what happened. He smiled and pulled her into a hug. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"We should get back to the camp. They're probably waiting for us," she suggested when she pulled away. He nodded and kissed her one last time before they had to return. Instead of the irrational desire she felt before from his kiss, she felt a small tingle that coursed through her and Hope both. It was an enjoyable feeling, like their connected souls were happily communicating with the other. He retrieved his jacket and slipped it on. She offered her hand and he took it. They walked back towards the campsite, thinking about what they would face in the near future besides building a village.

Fang was at the head of the group readying to make a speech and take questions. Meanwhile, Snow was figuring out what skill each person had and Serah helped him. Sazh talked to Victor's mom while the two boys talked with the daughter of the small family. Vanille stood by Fang. The mother and father of the girl talked with the couple. When Lightning and Hope entered, Fang caught her eye and motioned for her to come forward. She looked at Hope and he shrugged, squeezing her hand before letting her go and joining Serah. She moved to the front and stood by Fang.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I want to introduce you properly. After all you are going to head the expedition to Oerba while we defend from all sides. You have keen senses so we will know of any danger before it shows up. That or you can easily scare them away," she teased with a nudge.

"Yeah and scare away the survivors too," Lightning pointed out.

"Well we will have to take that chance if we get stuck in a bad situation," Fang replied. Lightning sighed and held the bridge of her nose.

"Calm down soldier girl," Fang said with a smile. By now everyone knew Lightning's telltale signs of frustration.

"Ok everyone can I please have your attention?" she called out. They all looked at her and gathered in front of her.

"Ok people you all heard that we will be leaving for shelter very soon. I want to introduce you to the one who will be leading us there," Fang said looking at Lightning.

"Aren't you a soldier?" the father of the small family asked.

"Yes, I was a Corps soldier but left when I needed to find my sister. I am a professional in battle so you need not worry about danger along the way," Lightning replied. The group continued to ask about her skills, how they would be reaching Oerba, and where it is located. She answered them the best she could with Fang's help. When the group was ready, they began to head out. The children were kept in the middle while the adults surrounded them. Serah was placed with the survivors with Snow close by. Dajh was too with Sazh nearby. Lightning was in the front, Hope on the side with Snow, and Fang was in the back with Vanille. There was not a single problem along the way. Fang may have been kidding but Lightning suspected that the monsters **were** really afraid of her. They stepped into the village and Fang walked up front and stood by the rubble of her and Vanille's house.

"We'll rebuild it Fang don't worry," Snow said enthusiastically. She nodded and turned to the group.

"I know this may sound a little daunting at first but with a lot of effort we can rebuild and spruce up this place," Fang stated. They started by splitting up and gathering any materials that would be useful. They rested and ate and then went to sleep. When they arose, the working process started up again.

It took roughly two years to settle in. By then, other survivors had found the village and stayed. The couple that was going to get married still did in the same tradition as Fang and Vanille's tribe. They had a baby shortly after that. Snow and Serah followed with their wedding. Victor ended up with the daughter of the small family whose name was Rose. Thomas became a good hunter with Fang's teachings. Snow worked with anyone willing to fight monsters that strayed too close to the village and Lightning trained them. Hope worked with Serah in the medical field and Vanille helped once in a while. She preferred to be the local babysitter. Sazh taught his son about mechanics and turned pieces of found machinery into things they could use. Every night Lightning stood guard in the tall building with the staircase leading up to the roof.

Rarely anything happened but she was still on alert. Ever since she changed she didn't need to sleep as much and anyone could always find her pacing across the tall building's roof. When she spotted Hope striding up the incline to visit her she jumped from her perch to try and surprise him. Most nights she perched on the roof in her demon form. It was the only time she changed and felt free when she did. Everyone liked to make rumors and tell stories about the shadow that lurks around the watch tower. She smiled when they warned her to be careful. Even when she was too busy to spend time with Hope, she communicated with him using images and feelings through their bond. They kept each other company even when they were apart. Tonight Serah allowed him to leave early and he ran to the tower. Lightning saw him coming up the path and jumped from the building to glide down next to him, the white tips glinting in the moonlight.

"Hey Claire," he greeted her when she touched down.

"_How casual a greeting you give when faced with The Shadow that haunts the tower," _she grumbled. He chuckled and they turned the corner. She followed him into the building's bottom floor where she lived.

"Claire, face it. You aren't as scary to me anymore. After all, to me you're just like a playful shark," he replied as he pointed to the bite she gave him a week ago. He started to rough house with her when she refused to allow him to be right about something. That something included whether or not Serah would be having a kid. Since Hope spent a lot of time with her he knew and Lightning just didn't want to hear it even though she knew he was right.

"_You angered me,"_ she replied.

"And I paid for it dearly," he said, rubbing his arm. He told everyone that one of the monsters attacked him. She turned away and leaned against the rail of the stairs. He walked over to her and casually ran a hand over her folded wings. Her barbed tail swung back in forth with irritation even though her face didn't hint at anything. He learned to read how she felt without their bond by watching her body language. She had a few quirks whether she was in her demon form or not. When he made contact with her, her tail ceased to swing and relaxed. She breathed out and he saw her icy breath disappear in the air.

"What's wrong Claire?" he asked as his hand dropped. She turned to him with disappointment.

"_I still can't do it," _she confessed. He looked confused.

"Do what?" he questioned.

"_I still can't satisfy my hunger with animals. They help but it's not the same. I hate to admit that I clearly remember how much I enjoyed Cid and Rosch even if they were horrible people when they were alive," _Lightning said. He looked into her glowing gold eyes and then reached out to caress her face.

"You still have me," he told her.

"_I can't stand asking you for that now that I should have had control at this point," _she replied.

"You can always ask me. How did you feel when you bit me? Was that more than just anger then?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_I was still mad at you. That wasn't a lie but I did use that to my advantage. I had to taste your blood just to see if it tasted the same," _she replied trying to turn away but he held her shoulders to keep her facing him.

"So did it?" he questioned.

"_Yes it still does," _she said truthfully. He laughed and his eyes landed on the dirty and threadbare bandana now tied around her wrist. Her claws gripped the rails behind her. A quick look at her feelings through the bond revealed what she was thinking. He didn't like prying into her feelings but she wasn't saying anything. He pressed against her and kissed under her jaw. She tilted her head and sighed.

"_Hope, don't start. I know what you're trying to do," _she hissed. He smirked and licked her neck. In this form she intoxicated him just as much as he did to her. His hands wandered but she kept her claws on the rail. She gripped them so hard they bent in her fist. Her breathing picked up and Hope could feel the shadows react. Lightning didn't tell him when he got to her, but he could tell when he did because her instincts shouted at her to give in. The darkness was wired on pure instinct and she wanted him. He felt that small part of darkness stitched to his soul jolt in excitement. She gazed into his stormy sea green eyes. She blocked out most of the shadows but her eyes stayed yellow, a haze of shadow remained under her eyes, and her teeth were still sharp. He leaned in and bit her teasingly.

"When are you just going to give in Claire? I know you want it, just take it," he challenged. His hands wrapped around her roughly before he picked her up and carried her to her bed. He laid her down and leaned over her; trapping her between his arms and legs. She gazed up at him with clouded lustful eyes. She reached out and pulled him down so she could kiss him. He slowly lay down next to her with one leg between hers and an arm around her waist which he used to prop himself up.

"You think you can seduce me into wanting your blood?" she said with a smirk.

"It's working isn't it?" he replied in a husky voice. His desire for her was rising.

"Yes but I haven't kept you alive this long without a great amount of self-control," she said.

"But when you bite me I feel just as much pleasure as you do. In fact, it almost drives me crazy," he told her as his hands clenched at the thought. His body pressed down into hers and she moaned.

"I can help you along if you want," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her. His tongue ran over her teeth tauntingly. She pushed him away suddenly with a rumbling growl and a rough shove. She pinned him to the bed with her hands on his shoulder and straddled his waist. The shadows began twisting over her body and she bent over to bite deeply into his shoulder. His back arched and she couldn't help feeling how much he enjoyed it. She pulled away but he pulled her back to him. He licked his own blood off her lips and then kissed her. She moaned as the taste of his blood washed into her mouth again. She pulled off his jacket and shirt and tossed them to the side. He had been working out with Snow, something she was grateful for. That combined with just how much he grew was enough to make her desire rise. Her hands dragged down his chest, stopping at the dark marks around his heart, and then continued over his stomach.

They stopped at the top of his pants where she ran a finger slightly under them. He shuddered and she smirked. She pulled back and reeled in the shadows. At the same time, she slowly slid off both her gloves and threw them aside. He pushed himself to a sitting position and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He traced the straps of her uniform before he undid them and pulled off her jacket. His hands found the zipper next and pulled it all the way down. He rubbed a hand over her scar before pushing off the turtleneck. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him close. His scent blew off of him and made her hunger return. He leaned forward and laid her on her back before removing the rest of his cloths and hers. Then he threw the articles of clothing out of the way. He gazed lovingly into her eyes and cupped her face in his hands.

"I love you Claire Farron," he stated strongly. She smiled and laid a hand over one of his.

"I love you too Hope Estheim," she replied. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow cross her hand to slide over his and wrap around his thumb. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her passionately. They carried on and Lightning's darkness was finally fulfilled along with herself. She really did belong to Hope and he belonged to her. The feeling of intense desire for him lifted and was replaced with content. She wanted all of him and now she got it. He was happy to have been chosen as her one and only mate. When morning came around, Lightning was undisturbed by the light shining into her eyes and Hope felt like he could sleep through anything. He was holding her in his arms and she was curled next to him, enjoying the embrace. In a life full of darkness, it was sure looking like a very bright future together.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks to anyone who continues to review well after this story is done. I'm still curious about what you guys think. :)<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note:**I see that a lot of people are still marking this fic as a favorite so I was wondering if anyone who is going to favorite just leave a review on whether I should make a sequel based on the second game. I figured if it's still being read that I can get advice from the people reading. Also, reviews on the story would be nice too. Anyway, thanks to anyone who reviews and hope you enjoyed the fic!


End file.
